Forever In Love
by kkahne5
Summary: What would happen if the High School Musical cast was reunited for a HSM movie marathon? Can two people be separated for years, but still find their way back to each other and be Forever in Love?
1. Chapter 1

This idea popped in my head a few days ago and I couldn't stop thinking about it, so ultimately I had to share it! Ashley said in an interview somewhere that the cast wanted to get together and have a HSM reunion and watch all the movies, so in a perfect world, this is what I imagined would happen. A girl can dream right?! Anyways, this story is set around the end of 2013. Hope you guys enjoy it. It is only a 2-shot now, but let me know if you think I should make it a full story. Don't worry, I'm still working on the other story!

**Forever In Love**

"Are you ready for this, bro?" Dylan Efron asked his older brother.

Zac started his Audi sedan and pulled out of his driveway, driving along a path that three years ago was almost a daily routine for him. "I don't know, Dyl. I haven't seen Ashley is over a year because I've been so busy with filming and when she called like a month ago to set up this reunion, I figured it would be at her house, not Vanessa's. I haven't seen Corbin since I saw him in NYC and we went to the strip club! I haven't seen Olesya or Lucas since the Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure premiere like two years ago and I haven't seen Mo since the 17 again premiere!"

"Dude, they are all your best friends and still love you. Why else would they have invited you to come hang out and watch all the HSM movies?"

"I know, I know. I just…..I haven't been to Vanessa's house since I came to get my stuff right after we broke up. It's going to be weird to see her, and to see her with him in the house we said would be ours one day."

Dylan could tell his brother was still hurting. He knew that Zac put on a brave face for everyone besides him and his hurt was the reason Zac was constantly working.

"Zac, I know that when you guys decided to break up that it was because of your work and neither one of you wanted the other to hurt because you couldn't see each other for long periods of time."

"Yeah, Dylan, but I thought we would get back together after that wave of craziness. I didn't expect her to go and find someone else. Plus, Ashley kind of set them up. I think deep down that's why I haven't really talked to Ash. I didn't want to make it awkward and make her choose between Nessa and me so I kind of stepped out of the picture, plus I wasn't here because of work. And, Austin was her friend and even though Ashley knew how much Vanessa meant to me, she set them up together."

"Have you talked to Vanessa?"

Zac shook his head. "No, not really. Just on our birthdays and Christmas when we text each other."

Zac pulled his Audi to the security gate to gain entrance to the neighborhood. A guy in his thirties stepped out to come to Zac's car.

"Well, well, I never thought I would see you again! What's up man?!" the guard said excitedly as Zac rolled down his window.

"Will! What's up, bro?!" Zac said as they shook hands. "We are having a HSM reunion. Am I late?!"

"Nah man, right on time. But you are the last of the cast to arrive," he laughed as Zac laughed.

"Of course I am. Nothing new. I'll talk to you later, man. Good to see you!"

"You too, Zac!" Will walked back to the guard stand and opened the gates for Zac.

Zac waved and rolled up his window as he passed through the gates. He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hand.

"You'll be fine, dude. I promise. I know it may feel a little awkward, but I'll be there and so will the rest of the cast. It will be fun."

"I hope so, Dyl. I really hope so." Zac turned off his car after he pulled into Vanessa's drive way. The Efron brothers got out of the car and made their way up the steps leading to the front door. Zac raised his fist to knock on the door, but instead Dylan opened it and walked in.

"Dylan! You can't just walk in here anymore!" Zac said as he closed the front door back.

"Calm down, bro. Nessa doesn't care and she loves me." Zac rolled his eyes as they walked through the foyer to the spacious living room.

Everyone minus Vanessa and Austin were in the living room sitting and chatting.

"AHHHHHHHH!" Ashley squealed loudly as she jumped up from the couch next to her boyfriend, Chris and ran straight towards Zac.

Zac laughed as he caught her mid-jump and hugged her tightly while swinging her around. She wrapped her arms around his neck excitedly. "I'm so happy to see you, little brother! It's been far too long and we have TONS of catching up to do!" Zac laughed again as he sat her back on the ground and kissed her cheek. "I can't wait, Ash."

Ashley laughed as she hugged Dylan. "Hey, Dyl. How are you?"

"I'm good, Ash!"

Everyone stood up to great their leading cast mate and friend. Dylan said his "hellos" to everyone in a polite manner since he didn't know many of them well. Zac hugged Corbin. "Hey, man. What's going on?"

"Not much, bro. How have you been?"

"Busy. But I've been pretty good."

"We'll catch up later?" Corbin half asked- half stated.

Zac nodded as he moved to Monique. "MO!" he hugged her tightly. "I'm so so so sorry I couldn't make it to your reception for the wedding. I tried to get out of filming for the weekend, but the director wouldn't let me. But, I brought you guys your wedding presents." He handed her a big bag and shook her new husband's hand and handed him a envelope. "Hey man, nice to see you again." He said to Monique's new husband.

"Zac, this is amazing!" Monique cried as she pulled a scrapbook out of the bag. It was a scrapbook Zac had put together with photos of the cast from the three movies and the tour. "Thank you so much, I love it!" she said as she hugged him tightly.

"Floor seats to the Lakers?! Man, you are awesome!" Monique's husband cried as he hugged Zac in a manly way. "Thanks bro!"

"No problem, man." Zac hugged Olesya. "Hey Miss Playmaker, how ya been?"

"Hey Hoops Man!" she laughed as they used the nicknames they always have. "I've been great! What about you mister movie man?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "I'm good. I'm glad to have a break from filming."

Zac hugged Lucas next. "Hey dude! What's up?!"

"Nothing much! Just finished filming for this season's Switched at Birth. Glad to be home!"

"I completely understand. Great show, by the way!"

"Thanks man, that means a lot!"

Zac shook Ashley's boyfriend's hand next. "Chris! How are ya, man? I hope you're treating my big sister well!" he half joked.

Chris laughed. "Hey Zac. You know I am!" Zac laughed. As they all went to move back to sit down, a loud squeal was heard running to the living room.

"DYL!" Vanessa screamed as she ran to him and hugged him tightly, making him nearly lose his balance.

"Nessa! What's up Sister-in-Law?" he said excitedly as he hugged her back.

Zac shot him daggers as Dylan realized what he said. "Um…I mean…" he stuttered.

Vanessa pulled back, giggling. "It's fine, Dyl. Don't worry about it."

Everyone watched in silence as Zac and Vanessa's eyes locked on each other. Zac and Vanessa opened their mouths to say something at the same time, but neither made a sound. Zac rubbed the back of his neck, a sign he was extremely nervous. Vanessa made the three steps to him and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm glad you could make it," she said quietly.

"Me too." he replied as he pulled back when Austin walked in the room. Austin didn't make a move to say anything to Zac or Dylan, instead he just sat down on the couch. Vanessa rolled her eyes and looked back at Zac and Dylan. "Do you guys want anything to drink?"

"Sure, thanks." They both replied.

Vanessa smiled and walked back towards the kitchen to grab them a drink. Vanessa's large "L-shaped" couch was nearly full. A spot was left for Vanessa on the end, next to her was Ashley, Olesya, and then Monique. Monique's husband sat in the curve of the couch. Next to him was Lucas, Corbin, an empty spot, and then finally Austin on the end. Zac looked at Dylan, contemplating the seating arrangements. The girl's were all facing the tv head on, while the boys had to look slightly to the right to see the tv.

The coffee table was moved out of the way, leaving an open space on the floor.

"I'll just sit down here," Zac said as he plopped down right in the middle of the floor.

They all laughed at him, minus Austin who just ignored him. Dylan sat next to Austin, and hit Corbin playfully on the arm. "Congrats to you, Corbin. You get to sit next to the better Efron brother!" Corbin laughed and rolled his eyes as he high fived Dylan.

"That hurt, man." Zac said as he faked someone stabbing him in the chest. They all laughed.

"Zac, you can lean back on my legs so your back doesn't hurt you." Ashley said as she touched his back with her feet.

Zac nodded and scooted back, resting his back against the front of her calves. He leaned his head back to look at her and smiled. "Thanks Tizzy."

Vanessa walked into the living room with a can of Coors light and a bottle of specialty beer. She handed the can to Dylan.

"Sorry Dyl, this is the last bottle I had and your brother would kill me if I gave you his favorite."

"It's all good. Thanks Nessa." He smiled as he opened the can.

Vanessa walked over and handed Zac the bottle before turning down the lights slightly and sitting beside Ashley.

"Thanks Ness. I haven't had one of these in forever!"

"I figured," she giggled. "You're welcome."

Ashley turned on the tv and dyd player. "The Lucky One" started playing from where the girls had been watching it earlier.

Zac's eyes went wide as Dylan busted out laughing. "PLEASE tell me you guys weren't watching that!" Zac said as he titled his head back to look at Ashley.

"Oh come on! It's a great movie, Zac!" Monique said as she squeezed his shoulder. "We didn't get to finish! Can we please finish it?!"

Zac looked at the screen to see what scene it was paused on. Beth was just telling Logan that Keith didn't want her to see him after Ben's birthday party. Dylan busted out laughing because he knew what scene was coming up since he had been at the premiere of the movie.

"Ashley, you've already seen it! You were at the premiere!" Zac said as he looked at her.

"Yeah, but that was last year! I want to see it again!"

"Please Hoops Man! It is really good so far!" Olesya pleaded. Zac looked at Vanessa and when she was giving him the puppy dog eyes he groaned.

Zac looked at the guys and all of them besides Dylan and Austin shrugged their shoulders.

"Fiiiineeee!" Zac groaned as the girls all squealed and the movie started playing again.

"That kissing scene in the barn! Hellloooo! You guys might have well just kept going!" Monique teased him.

Zac groaned and crossed his arms, watching the movie, but he smiled to let her know he was just joking.

Shadow, Vanessa's toy poodle came from behind the couch when she heard Zac's voice on the tv. She started barking at the tv excitedly and she sat up on her back legs.

"Awww," Ashley said as they all watched Shadow.

"Shadow, sit down." Austin said.

She sat down and growled at him.

"Shadow, no!" Vanessa scolded her. Shadow spun around and darted for Zac when she sat him sitting on the floor. She jumped into his lap and started licking him all over the face.

"Hey girl!" he said quietly as he rubbed her. "I've missed you!" When she settled down, she curled up in his lap and went back to sleep. Vanessa giggled softly at her and Zac smiled at her before returning his eyes to the screen.

Zac looked up the see "Beth'' telling Keith off. Zac looked at Dylan to see him with wide eyes, trying to hold in his laughter. Zac groaned and closed his eyes, letting his head rest on Ashley's lap as the shower scene came on.

"Daaaamnnn son!" Corbin said as he watched the scene. This caused Dylan to burst out laughing.

Vanessa felt a pang of jealously run through her as she watched the scene. She looked over at Austin to see him playing on his phone. Then she looked down to see Zac looking at her, almost apologetically, with Shadow cuddled up in his lap. She smiled and winked at him, letting him know she was okay and went back to watching the movie.

The movie finished and as the credits started to roll, Dylan spoke up. "When we were at the premiere of that movie, I was sitting beside Zac and mom and dad were on the other side of him…."

Ashley busted out laughing as she remembered the memory Dylan was about to share. "I remember this! It was so funny!"

Dylan laughed and continued. "So during the first scene, Zac was like scooting down in his seat, trying to be invisible and I'm, of course, over here like poking him in the side with my elbow and it gets dead silent and mom goes, "That's my boy!""

Everyone busted out laughing as Zac blushed. Vanessa was almost in hysterics at the story. "I can so see Starla saying that! What did David do?!"

"He just started laughing! It was so funny!" Zac said as he got up to put the HSM1 movie in the dvd player and sat back down.

They all began to watch the first movie that changed all of their lives.

"Look at my fro! That is embarrassing!" Chad said as they all laughed.

"Dude! I look like I was 12!" Troy said as he looked at the shaggy-haired boy of his teenage years.

"Well if you look 12 then I look 6!" Chad retorted.

They all continued to watch the movie. The little looks between Zac and Vanessa didn't go unnoticed by Ashley who elbowed Vanessa and winked.

"Lunkhead basketball man? Really Mo? You think that badly of me?" Troy joked as he looked at Monique.

"Oh shush, you know I love you." She said as she stuck her tongue out at him.

The movie starts coming to an end when Gabriella runs into the gym and hugs Troy saying, "Congratulations, Wildcat!"

"Remember when Corbin forgot to interrupt you guys and you were just kissing….and kissing…..and kissing?" Lucas asked as they all remembered.

"Zac called me that day so excited!" Dylan said as Zac's eyes went wide. "THANKS DYLAN!" Zac said at him through gritted teeth. Vanessa tried to hold back her giggles as she looked at Dylan with raised eye brows.

When "We're All In This Together" started playing, Troy stood up and took Ashley's hand before motioning for the others to get up too and before they knew it, Zac, Vanessa, Ashley, Lucas, Corbin, Monique, and Olesya were all dancing along to the movie. When it finally ended, they all busted out laughing.

"I forgot how hard that was!" Olesya said as she sat back down. They all laughed and sat back down.

Zac walked out of the room, to go use the bathroom. Vanessa walked into the kitchen as Ashley got the second movie ready and Austin followed her.

"Can you make it more obvious that you still love him?" he asked angrily as he hit the counter with his fist.

"What are you talking about?" Vanessa asked, feigning innocence.

"You know what I'm talking about. The looks you two keep giving each other, it's like you are undressing each other with your eyes! This is ridiculous, Vanessa!"

"What do you want me to say?! He was and always will be my best friend, Austin! He was my first everything! It's not like I can just forget all of that and frankly I don't want to! If you can't accept our friendship, then we don't need to be together, Austin. You haven't even said one word to him or Dylan! You've been a complete ass!"

"Well how am I supposed to feel? You still have pictures of you and him around your house? I've never once slept in your bed! And when he comes back for the first time in years, you two can't stop looking at each other! You told me that you love me, how am I supposed to believe that?"

"Because I do. Well, I did. At least I thought I did. But, after tonight and seeing him and I don't know! I don't think I will ever love someone the way I love Zac. I'm sorry, Austin, but you should go. You can come get your stuff later."

"I don't have anything here. There is no need for me to come back." He grabbed his jacket and left the house.

Vanessa took a deep breath and walked back into the living room.

"Where is Austin?" Lucas asked.

"He left. Well, I made him. I broke up with him."

"Nessa, I don't mean to sound rude, but the guy was a complete Dickhead!" Dylan said.

Zac punched him in his arm. "Shut up, Dylan!"

Vanessa giggled at their brotherly fight. "No, you're right, Dyl. He is. That's why I did it."

They all dropped the subject as the second movie started. Dylan opened his phone and read a message. "Zac, I hate to ask, but I need a favor. I need to go home. Mom just texted me and it's kind of an emergency. Can I borrow the Audi?"

Zac looked at him like he was crazy. "Emergency? Dylan, what's going on?"

Ashley paused the movie so they could talk without the noise.

"Nothing, I can't tell you. I promised mom. Just please trust me."

Zac looked at his brother and noticed the scared yet determined look on his face. "Don't get a scratch on it, or else I will kill you. You know I don't let anyone drive my car."

"You've let Nessa drive it before and she is a worse driver than me!"

"Hey!" Vanessa argued.

Dylan laughed then looked back at his brother. "Please, Zac. I need to go."

Zac sighed and handed him his keys. "Be careful and let me know when you get to SLO."

"I will! Thanks bro," he said as he hugged him tightly.

Dylan made his way around the living room, saying goodbye to everyone before hugging Vanessa. He whispered into her ear, "Nessa, put your phone on silent and check your messages in a minute."

She nodded and played along. "Love ya too, brother-in-law" she joked.

Dylan quickly left the house and Vanessa noticed the worried look on Zac's face. The second movie in the HSM trilogy started playing and everyone started watching.

"Thank God, we all look way older in this movie!" Chad said with a laugh as they watched "What Time Is It?"

"I'm so glad you actually sang in this one, Zac. You sound way better than Drew!" Olesya said.

Zac chuckled. "Me too. It was more fun."

"I want fabulous, that is my simple request!" Vanessa sang mockingly to Ashley.

"You know you love that song, Nessa!" Ashley said as she laughed.

"Fine, I do!" They both laughed.

Vanessa looked down at her phone to see that Dylan had sent her a text message like he said.

"_Nessa, I need you to stay calm , but mom called and told me that Grandpa had a heart attack. They are taking him to the hospital now, but mom knew Zac was with you guys tonight and she didn't want to worry him. When I get to SLO, I will let you know what is going on, but Zac might have to come up here if he is in bad shape. I know you may not want to, and I will understand, but Zac doesn't need to drive when he finds out, that's another reason I took his car. Can you or Ashley or someone please come up here with him if he needs to come?"_

"_I'll be there, Dyl. No worries."_

"_Thanks, Nessa. I will let you know for sure."_

"_Okay, be careful Dyl."_

Vanessa noticed that Zac still had a worried look on his face and she got up and made her way to sit in the spot beside him that Dylan had previously been sitting in. She rubbed his back to relax him, but continued to watch the movie, unaware of the smiling faces on the rest of their cast as they watched the interaction.

Shadow jumped up in Zac's lap and for the first time in three years, Zac felt happy.


	2. Chapter 2

They all continued to watch the movie.

The scene was playing where Gabriella confronts Sharpay.

"Here comes the feisty side of Gabriella Montez! Watch out, people!" Corbin joked, making everyone laugh.

Vanessa could feel a lump forming in her throat as Troy walked into the scene in the movie and she started singing "Gotta Go My Own Way."

She sniffled when Troy chased Gabriella on the bridge and Zac looked to his left to see Vanessa crying. He smiled softly and raised his left arm to place it around her, giving her a gently squeeze. She laid her head against his chest, watching the movie as a few tears threatened to fall.

Zac felt tears form in his own eyes as he watch the scene and he felt Vanessa's body shake softly with silent sobs. He rubbed her arm and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

They all continued to watch the second and third movie, reminiscing about how much fun they had making the movies and how many great memories they made. When the third movie ended, they all had tears in their eyes.

"We all need to start hanging out more. I miss you guys," Monique said as she hugged Ashley tightly.

"Agreed!" Corbin said as he high-fived Zac.

"At least once a month, let's all do dinner or a cookout or just hang out!" Ashley suggested with excitement in her voice.

They all agreed when Vanessa's phone rang. She jumped up and grabbed it off of the coffee table.

"_Hello?"_

"_Nessa…."_

Vanessa's stomach flopped when she heard Dylan's voice followed by a bunch of sobs.

"_Please get here, soon. Please Nessa."_

"_We'll be right there, Dyl. I promise. Love you."_

"_Love you too, sis in law."_

She hung up and turned around to see Zac looking at her with a confused look on her face. When she saw the concern in his blue eyes, she covered her mouth to stop from choking out a loud sob.

They all stood up and rushed to her. Zac reached her first and pulled her into his arms. "Ness, what's going on? Is everything okay? Why was Dylan calling?"

She pulled back and looked at him. "Zac, you're grandpa had a heart attack. Dylan said we need to get there quick."

Zac's face paled as he took in the news. "I need to go. Can I borrow your car?"

"No Zac, you can't drive. I'm coming with you."

He nodded as Vanessa ran off to grab her wallet and keys. The gang hugged Zac and wished him good luck.

Vanessa came back. "You guys can stay as long as you want. Just lock up if you leave. You know the code, Ash. You ready, Zac?"

He nodded and swallowed hard as he made his way out to her car. They got in and she backed out of the driveway, before speeding off. Vanessa pressed a button on her steering wheel and said "Call Mom."

Vanessa's car was soon filled with rings as her Bluetooth system called "Mom." The touch screen navigation system lit up with Starla's picture as the call was connected.

"Vanessa, sweetie is that you?"

Zac smiled to himself. After him and Vanessa had dated for two years, his mom insisted that Vanessa call her mom. His parents and Vanessa had a great relationship while they were dating and he knew they still occasionally talked.

"Hi Mom, it's me. We are on our way there now."

"Zac? Sweetie?" Starla called out over the speaker system.

"I'm here, mom. How bad is he?" he said quietly, trying to stay strong. His grandfather was his best friend growing up. He taught Zac about cars, sports, and gave him many life lessons. Zac was very close with his family, even with all the craziness that comes with being famous. He talked to his parents and brother almost everyday and talked to his grandparents at least once a week.

"Just tell me the truth. I'm not driving."

"He is on life support. We wanted to wait until you got here." Starla said quietly. She knew how hard this would be for her oldest son, but she knew better than to lie to him about it.

Unable to hold back, tears fell down Zac's cheeks. Vanessa placed her hand on his thigh and he grabbed it with both hands, closing his eyes.

"We will be there soon, mom" Vanessa spoke up. "Love you."

"Love you guys too, sweetheart. Be careful." She hung up and Vanessa's car was silent, minus the quiet sobs escaping the 25 year old in the passenger seat.

"Why?" he asked as he looked over at her.

She knew that he was asking about more than one situation. "I don't know why we thought it would be a good thing, Zac. But I know that it wasn't and I haven't been happy since. I also don't know why I went out with Austin. I guess it was to try to fill the void that I felt, but instead it only made me miss you more. I broke up with him because I told him how I truly felt. I told him that you have always been one of my best friends and you always will be. I also told him that I couldn't love anyone else as much as I love you. I can't go another day without talking to you or seeing you or just simply having you in my life. And finally, Zac, I know how much you love your grandpa. I love him, too. And I don't have the answer to this question either. I don't think anyone does. But if it's his time to go, I will be by your side every step of the way."

She looked over at him as she stopped at a red light. He placed his hand on her cheek and kissed her, letting all of his emotions show. She kissed back until someone honked at her, signaling the light was green. She looked forward and started driving again as he laced his fingers with her right hand and rested their hands on his thigh. He leaned his head back against the headrest and just cried.

He wasn't sure how long had passed, but he wiped his eyes when no more tears were falling. He leaned forward and turned on the radio with his free hand.

"I don't know how to get to the hospital," Vanessa told him as she pulled into San Luis Obispo.

"Act like your going to my house, take a left at the Walgreens and it's right past there."

She nodded and continued the directions that he told her. He still hadn't let go of her hand. "I'm scared, Ness," he whispered as his tears returned. "No one close to me has ever…. died before. He isn't going to be here to work on cars anymore or give me life lessons."

She pulled into the hospital parking garage and turned off her car before turning to face him. She placed a hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes. "You're grandpa was an amazing man. Just like you. He was loving, funny, smart, and a hard working. You possess all of those qualities. He will live on through you. He wouldn't want you to stop living life because of this."

He leaned into her touch and nodded. "I know. It's just hard. It's going to take a little while."

"I know, baby. But I'm not going anywhere."

She leaned over and kissed him softly. "You ready?" she asked when she pulled back. He nodded and opened the door before getting out. He stretched his arms and back before walking around the car to her side. She grabbed her purse and locked the car before standing beside him. They began to walk and she grabbed his hand, giving it a soft squeeze. He smiled down at her as they began walking through the parking garage.

They reached the front door of the hospital and walked in. They made their way over the receptionist.

"We're looking for James Baskett."

"What's your relationship? We are under strict orders to only let immediate family in."

"My name is Zac Efron. And this is my wife, Vanessa Efron," he lied to the receptionist that appeared to be in her late fifties.

"Very well, Mr. and Mrs. Efron. 6th floor, room 623. She wrote their names on two visitor passes and instructed them to put them on."

"Thank you."

He and Vanessa walked off towards the elevators, not speaking a word about the lie Zac told. They got inside the elevator and put their name tags on.

She looked down at her name time and then looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"What? It has a nice ring to," he winked. She giggled and took his hand as the doors opened to reveal the family waiting room. The looked up to see Starla and David sitting there. Vanessa let go of his hand as Starla stood up. Zac immediately walked to her and hugged her tightly. Zac let his tears flow freely once he felt his mother crying.

David hugged Vanessa. "Hey there, sweetheart. How was the drive?"

She smiled softly. "It was okay. Traffic wasn't too bad thankfully. Where's Dyl?"

"He went home to walk puppy and to shower. He should be back here soon."

Zac pulled back from Starla and wiped his eyes. Starla pulled Vanessa into a hug. "I miss you, sweet girl."

Vanessa hugged her back and rubbed her back during the hug. "I missed you too, mom."

"Can I go see grandpa?" Zac asked after he hugged his dad.

"Yeah. Your grandma is in there now, but go ahead." Starla replied. Zac nodded and took a deep breath. Vanessa walked over and hugged him tightly. "I'll be right here when you come out. I promise."

He nodded and leaned down, kissing her softly before walking down the hallway. Vanessa turned around to see Starla and David looking at her with raised eyebrows.

Vanessa smiled and winked as Starla and David hugged her tightly. They all sat down and made small talk. The elevator doors dinged open, revealing a disheveled Dylan.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Starla asked as he walked towards them.

"Some paparazzi are outside." Dylan grumbled. Vanessa walked from around the corner, returning from the restroom.

"Nessa! Nice name tag, sis in law," Dylan joked as Vanessa walked up to him.

She giggled softly, but noticed the sad look in his eyes when she got close. She wrapped her arms around him. "It's going to be okay, Dyl. I promise."

Dylan finally let his cries out after holding them in for hours. Vanessa led him over to the chairs, and they sat down, not taking his head out from her neck. She rubbed his back softly and just let him cry.

Starla smiled at the scene. Vanessa was like the daughter she never had and she loved that both of her sons trusted her and loved her. Of course, in a different way, but she was very thankful Vanessa was there. She knew her sons would try to be strong for her, but that Vanessa could get them to let it all out so they didn't keep it cooped up inside.

A few minutes later, Dylan pulled back from her and wiped his eyes. "Thanks Nessa, you're the best." She smiled and squeezed his knee. "Anytime, bro in law." He chuckled and pushed his shoulder against hers softly.

She giggled, but stopped when she saw Zac walk around the corner. His bright blue eyes were filled with tears that continually cascaded down his cheeks and fell onto his white t-shirt. Dylan stood up and hurried over to him, hugging him tightly. The two Efron brothers hugged each other as if their life depended on it, while crying.

When they pulled back, David hugged Zac. "It's all going to be okay, son."

Zac nodded and wiped his eyes, but the tears didn't stop. He hugged his mom and then pulled away. He looked at Vanessa and she saw the look of need in his eyes; the need to cry, the need to let his sadness and frustration out and the need to be loved.

"Come here," she whispered as she pulled him into her arms. He wrapped his arms around her, engulfing her in a bear hug and cried.

"I couldn't say goodbye to him. I told him I'd see him later." Zac said softly.

Vanessa leaned up and kissed him softly. "That's the truth baby. You'll see him again one day." Zac swallowed the lump in his throat. "I need to get out of here, Ness."

She nodded and pulled back. "Starla, we're going to go if that's okay. Zac hasn't eaten or showered all day."

Starla nodded and hugged them both. "That's fine. We will be home in a little bit. We're going to stay until they pronounce the time of death and then we will head that way."

Zac nodded and hugged his brother and dad before leaving with Vanessa. They ignored the paparazzi as they made their way to Vanessa's car and got in before speeding off. The ride was silent to Zac's house, but their hands never separated. They got out and went inside as Zac locked the door behind them.

Zac started to go up the stairs and Vanessa followed closely behind him. They made their way into Zac's old bedroom.

"I understand if you don't want to stay in here with me. I can go sleep in Dyl's bed or something." Zac offered.

Vanessa shook her head. "It's fine. I don't mind at all. I told you I'm not going anywhere," she said as she kissed his chest. She looked up and their eyes locked together.

Zac lifted the hem of her shirt slightly and placed his hands on her hips, his thumbs rubbing soft circles on her tan skin. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned up, kissing him passionately. He pulled back and took off his shirt, slinging it across the room. He looked at her eyes for permission then pulled her shirt off of her, dropping it to the floor. They lips reconnected in a heated kiss as he buried his left hand in her hair and pulled her closer with the other hand. He pushed her against the wall, supporting her under her butt as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He attached his lips to the sweet spot on her neck, making her moan softly. She unwrapped her legs, sliding back down to ground and quickly unbuttoned his jeans, sliding them down his legs, leaving him in his black Calvin Klein boxer briefs.

Zac did the same with her jeans, leaving her in her matching black lace underwear. He unhooked her bra and slid off her underwear as she did the same to him. He lifted her up and carried her over to his bed, pulling down the comforter and sheets as he laid her down.

She ran her fingers through his hair and saw the hurt still in his eyes. "You don't have to be gentle with me, Zac. Just let it all out."

He crashed his lips against hers and started playing with her breasts. She reached into the nightstand next to his bed and smiled in victory when she found what she was looking for. She pushed him over and placed the condom on him before allowing him to roll them back over.

"I love you," he said huskily as he looked into her eyes.

"I love you too, Zac."

With that, he laced their hands together and placed them above her head before slamming into her. She moaned loudly and wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him in deeper.

He released her hands to grab her hips. She moaned as she grabbed his back, leaving a couple of light scratch marks. He buried his face in between her breasts, leaving a large mark of possession between them.

Her toes curled as she threw her head back, screaming his name. "Nessa!" he groaned as he reached the peak of ecstasy after feeling her muscles squeeze him, milking him and sending him over the edge.

He pulled out and disposed of the condom before laying back down with his head on her chest. She pulled the sheet over them and wrapped her arms around him, running her hands through his slightly damp hair.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you," he whispered.

"You didn't, baby. Don't worry. Go to sleep, I'll be right here when you wake up."

He lifted his head slightly and gave her a loving kiss before resting his head back on her breast and falling asleep almost instantly.

Zac's eyes fluttered open thirty minutes later to feel Vanessa's small hands rubbing over the muscles in his back. He looked up at her and smiled softly. "I want to make love to you, Ness." She smiled and nodded before kissing him softly. They made love, showing each other how much they meant to the other before falling into deep sleep.

Starla and David Efron left the hospital, following Dylan who was driving Zac's car. They pulled into the driveway and all walked inside their home. Dylan went straight to his room, the events of the day taking a toll even on his young body. Starla and David started walking to their bedroom that was on the first floor.

"I'm just gonna go check on Zac. I want to make sure he is okay." Starla told David, concern evident in her voice. He nodded and made his way to their room as Starla climbed the stairs. She knocked softly, but opened the door when she didn't get a response.

She was surprised, but not upset to see her son and the girl she thought of as a daughter, lying in bed. Thankfully, Zac had the sheet pulled up to their waists and Vanessa was covered since Zac's arms had her tightly pulled against his side, with her head resting in the crook of his neck. Starla smiled and closed the door back silently before making her way back downstairs with a smile on her face. She knew that no matter what, this time they would last and be forever in love.

**A/N: I hope you guys liked it! Let me know if I should leave it at this or if I should continue! Thanks so much!**


	3. Chapter 3

Starla descended down the stairs and walked towards the master bedroom with a big smile on her face.

"What?" David asked her skeptically as he got into bed.

"Oh nothing. Let's just say that I just saw something I haven't seen since Thanksgiving a few years ago," Starla winked.

David looked deep in thought as he racked his brain for what she was talking about. His eyes widened when he remembered Starla walking in Zac's room to find them asleep, naked.

"Wow! When Zac called this morning, he was so nervous about going over to V's to see everyone. I wonder how they got back together" David asked as Starla climbed into bed and turned off the light.

"I don't know. I guess just seeing how much they missed each other and reliving all the memories of the movies made them realize how stupid they were both being. Neither of them have been happy since the break up."

"I know. I hope they realize now that their career is important, but love is what comes first."

Starla nodded. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

The Efron parents soon drifted into sleep.

Zac woke up the next morning to the feeling of light kisses on his chest and neck.

"Mmmm. If this is a dream, please don't wake me up," he groaned as he pulled her closer. His eyes fluttered open when he heard a sweet giggle in response.

"Hey sleepyhead," Vanessa smiled as she placed her chin on his chest, looking up at him.

He winked and closed his eyes, the smile on his face letting her know that he was just joking. She squealed loudly when he rolled them over and attacked her face, neck, and chest with light, playful kisses. He finally gave her a soft, loving kiss on the lips.

"I missed waking up in your arms" she said softly as hugged his body tightly.

"I missed it too, baby." he replied huskily.

"I don't want to leave this room though," he added with a sad look on his face. "Because then I have to face the fact that he is gone."

She smiled softly and kissed him gently. "We can face it together, baby. Otherwise, your mom or Dyl will be coming in here to get us. I heard her making breakfast a few minutes ago."

"You don't think she made French toast do you?!" he asked excitedly as he jumped up and walked over to the dresser, grabbing a pair of boxers.

She laughed loudly and got up, putting on her clothes from the night before. After getting on her shorts and tank top, she looked at the shirt she had previously. "Can I just wear one of your shirts? This one wasn't comfortable."

He looked through the drawers and found his blue plaid button shirt that she used to always steal from him. Since he has gotten a lot more muscular, he could no longer wear it anyways. Her eyes lit up when he held it up. "Yes, please!" He chuckled and tossed it across the room to her. He pulled on a pair of pajama pants, but didn't bother to put on a shirt.

He smiled as he watched her button up the shirt that was still too big on her, but it looked adorable. She tucked it partly into her jean shorts and they walked downstairs.

His eyes lit up when he saw French toast being cooked. "Hey mama," he said as he kissed her cheek.

"Good morning, sweetheart. How'd you sleep?" she asked with a knowing smirk on her face.

Zac busted out laughing and winked at Vanessa as she blushed. "Best I have in three years!"

Starla shook her head, smiling. Zac sat down at the table next to the younger Efron, who was trying to hold in his laughter. Since Dylan has gotten older, he is starting to look more and more like Zac. Vanessa smiled at the sight of the two brothers, shirtless with matching pajama bottoms on, waiting excitedly for French toast.

They all began to eat breakfast once Starla was done cooking it. They kept the conversation light and comical as they caught up. When the food was done, Vanessa got up to help Starla with the dishes. Zac watched his mother and girlfriend and smiled.

Zac's smile fell when he saw the stack of papers sitting to his right. He started reading over all of the paper work from the hospital and funeral home. After a few minutes, he dropped the papers from the table and got up. He went ignored the looks he was getting and ran upstairs.

He threw on his swim shorts and came back down.

They all knew where Zac was going.

"Do you need me to go, bro?" Dylan asked.

Zac nodded his head as he kissed Vanessa softly. "I love you," he said to her softly. He grabbed his keys and wallet, leaving his phone on the counter.

"Be careful, boys." Starla said as Dylan reemerged into the kitchen now wearing swim trunks. Zac nodded, not saying another word and walked into the garage, grabbing his and Dylan's surfboard before tying them to the top of his Audi and speeding off.

Dylan knew better than to try and get Zac to talk. When he was ready, he would open up. Until then, Dylan knew to just stay quiet.

David and Starla sat down to start arranging her father's funeral. The doorbell rang and Vanessa offered to get it. She stood up and made her way to the front door, opening it to reveal Zac's grandmother, Anne.

"Vanessa! Sweetheart, it's so good to see you!" she gushed as she hugged the petite woman that was like a granddaughter to her.

"You too! I missed you!" Vanessa smiled as they walked inside. "I hate that it has to be under these conditions."

"Me too, sweetie. But, I'm glad you're here. I could tell my grandson was hurting last night, but when I saw that sparkle in his eye, I knew you were the one to put it there."

Vanessa smiled and silently giggled. "I'm glad I was able to. I really missed him."

"Well he missed you too, sweetie."

They returned to kitchen and sat down at the table. They started planning the funeral and Vanessa helped by calling people and letting them know what time the service would be, and calling to order the supplies they needed.

When Vanessa had done everything she could, she went upstairs to call Ashley.

"_Hello?"_

"_Hey Ash."_

"_Hey Nessa. What's up? How is Zac's grandpa?"_

"_He died, Ash. Last night. They only kept him on life support until we got here so Zac could say goodbye."_

"_Oh god, I'm so sorry. Tell Zac that I'm thinking about him and love him. How is he doing?"_

"_Not good. Last night when we got back, we umm….really didn't talk about it." _She continued when Ashley squealed in excitement, as she understood what Vanessa was talking about. "_But this morning when he saw the funeral planning stuff, he jumped up to go and surf. Thankfully Dylan went with him, but I don't know what to do to help him."_

"_I think you just being there will help him, Nesquick. Which THANK GOD you guys got back together. It's about damn time!"_

Vanessa laughed, "_I know. I'm glad."_

"_Well I didn't know when you guys would be coming back so I brought Shadow home with me. Her and Maui can have a sleepover for the next few days."_

"_Thanks so much, Ash. If you get tired of her, feel free to drop her off at my parents' house. Stella can watch her if need be."_

"_Nonsense. She loves Auntie Ashley."_

Vanessa giggled and sighed. _"Ash, I'm getting worried. Zac has been gone for like 4 hours now. He didn't take his phone with him or anything."_

"_I'm sure he is fine. Don't worry."_

"_I'm trying, but I can't help it. I'm going to go shower before he gets back. I'll talk to you later, okay? Love you."_

"_Love you too, Nessa. Let me know if there is anything I can do."_

"_I will. Bye Ash."_

Vanessa hung up and sighed. She got up and went into the bathroom, turning on the shower as she stripped herself of clothing.

She stepped into the hot water and began to take a shower.

When she was finished, she pulled on a pair of Zac's boxers. Next, she grabbed a pair of his sweatpants that had a drawstring and she pulled them as tight as they would go and rolled the waistband down some, so they wouldn't be so long on her short legs. She pulled on her bra and threw on one of his tshirts. She pulled the towel off her head, letting her long brown hair cascade down her back, leaving the wet curls to dry naturally.

She grabbed her phone and called Ashley again.

"_Hey, I forgot to ask. Can you do me a favor?"_

"_Duh. What's up?"_

"_Can you overnight me some of my clothes? I need a few outfits and something dressy for the funeral. I didn't think to bring anything with me."_

"_Of course. I'll head over there now and grab some stuff and send it there."_

"_Thank you thank you thank you! Bye Ash!"_

"_Bye!"_

Vanessa walked downstairs to see Starla and David watching TV in the living room. Vanessa sat down in the oversized chair; next to the couch Starla and David were on.

"Where did Anne go?" Vanessa asked curiously.

"She had to run home and get some stuff together to take to the funeral home," David explained.

Vanessa nodded and began to watch the movie that was playing on the large flat screen mounted on the wall of the Efron's living room.

An hour later, Zac and Dylan walked into the front door of the home and walked into the kitchen.

"Hey guys, we're back," Dylan said loudly as he walked into the living room.

"Shhh!" David scolded him as he pointed at Vanessa who was curled up, asleep in the chair.

Zac walked in and smiled. He gently lifted her up and sat her back down in his lap, covering her with a blanket. Even in her sleep, she snuggled up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"How did she know it was you? She's asleep!" Dylan asked in amazement.

Zac chuckled. "She just knew. I'm the same way. You'll get it one day, lil bro."

Dylan rolled his eyes.

"How were the waves?" David asked.

"Awesome! They were the best ones I've seen in a while!" Zac said, excitement in his voice.

The four Efrons started watching a baseball game that had just started. Zac looked down and watched the love of his life sleep peacefully. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and went back to watching the game.

"How long do you have here before you have to go back?" Starla asked Zac during a commercial.

"I'm free as long as I need to be. I don't have any projects for a while since I just did all those in a row for the past two years. I have to start promoting some stuff, but that won't be for a few months. Thanksgiving is in two weeks, so I may just stay until then."

Starla smiled, "Why don't you invite Greg, Gina, and Stella to come up and have Thanksgiving with us?"

"I'll talk to Ness about it. I don't know if they have anything planned already."

Starla nodded and continued to watch the game. Once their team started to lose by a large margin, David started flipping through the stations. He stopped when he saw his son's face on E! News.

"Oh boy," Zac said as he rolled his eyes.

"_Hello everybody! I'm Ryan Seacrest and we have some breaking news for you. Zanessa is back!" _Pictures of Zac and Vanessa from yesterday at the hospital popped up on the screen, as well as a picture of Zac and Vanessa kissing in her car from yesterday. _"Now the rumors that Austin Butler broke up with Vanessa after her and Zac started having an affair were proved false when a close friend of the couple said that Austin was jealous of Zac and Vanessa's friendship for a long time. The High School Musical sweethearts apparently got back together after having a reunion with the cast. Paparazzi caught the lovebirds holding hands and walking into the hospital. Zac's manager issued this statement: "Zac and Vanessa request privacy at this time. They are dealing with the loss of a close family member and thank their fans for their continuous support. Best of luck to you, Zanessa!" _

"How did your manager know what to say?" David asked as he turned the volume back down.

"He called when me and Dyl were on our way to the beach earlier. Apparently him and Jason (V's manager) were flooded with phone calls and e-mails and thought it would be better to issue a statement on both of our behalves so that hopefully the paps will leave us alone for a few days. When he couldn't reach me on my phone, cause I left it here, he called Vanessa who gave him Dyl's number" Zac explained.

David nodded in understanding and Zac carefully grabbed his phone out of his pocket when it was vibrating. He opened it to see a bunch of text messages and missed calls. He replied to a few of the important ones, waiting until later to reply to the less urgent ones.

"_Hey Zaccy, sorry to hear about your grandpa. Let me know if you need anything at all! Love you bunches! Mwah!"_

"_Thanks Ash, that means a lot. Love you too, big sis."_

Zac sent the message to Ashley and then opened the next one.

"_Zac, I'm so sorry about your grandfather. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask!"_

"_Thanks Mo, I appreciate it." _He replied to Monique.

"_ZacAttack, I'm very upset that I had to find out about being my big brother again on E! News because my sister didn't care to inform me! Seriously though, I couldn't be happier you two finally got back together! It's about time! And I'm really sorry to hear about your grandpa. I know how much he meant to you. Let me know if you need anything and I'll do my best to help. Mom and Dad say hello and send their well wishes. Love you big bro, but you and Nessa have a LOT of making up to do! :) Love, StellaBella"_

"_I'm really sorry we didn't tell you right away, I promise I will make it up to you. You know that no matter what, you'll always be my little sister :P Thanks for the well wishes, it means so much to me and Dyl. I can't wait to see you. Love you loads, StellaBella" _Zac hit the send button, replying to Stella.

He skimmed through the dozens of new messages in his inbox, not taking the time to reply right away. He laid his phone down on the air of the chair.

"Did you get everything planned out, mom?" Dylan asked.

"Yeah, the funeral is tomorrow at 3:30. Do either of you want to say something at the funeral? You're grandfather would have really liked it if you did."

"I don't know, mom. I can't handle big crowds. You do it, bro" Dylan said, looking at Zac.

Zac thought about it for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. I'll say something."

Dylan looked at Vanessa who was still asleep. "She looks better in your clothes than you do, bro."

"Ha. Ha. You're so funny," Zac said sarcastically. "Dickhead," he mumbled as he flipped him off jokingly.

Starla rolled her eyes as she stood up, going to answer the door. A man stood at the door with a huge, beautiful arrangement of flowers with a large tray of fruit and a plate of homemade snicker doodle cookies.

"Delivery for Efron," the man said. Starla signed for the delivery and carefully carried everything into the living room.

"Who is that from?" David asked as Starla sat back down after pulling out a card from the flowers.

Starla began to read the card out loud.

"_David, Starla, Zachary, and Dylan:_

_We are thinking about you and praying for you. Please do not hesitate to call if you need anything at all. _

_Much love,_

_Greg, Gina, and Stella Hudgens"_

"Oh my!" Starla said as she got a tear in her eye. "I'm going to call Gina now. She is just the sweetest thing ever!" She jumped up and grabbed the phone, walking to the kitchen. Zac smiled and chuckled as Dylan grabbed the plate of cookies.

"Throw me one, bro." Zac said as he lifted his hand in the air to catch the cookie flying towards his face. "Gina makes the best snicker doodle cookies ever!"

The three Efron men all started eating the cookies. A few minutes later, Zac looked down into his lap to see Vanessa starting to stir. He watched her face scrunch up in confusion as she tried to remember where she was as she woke up. Her eyes fluttered open slowly before she quickly shut them again, burying her face in his neck as the bright sun coming into the room hurting her newly awakened eyes.

He chuckled and hugged her tight, kissing the side of her head as she placed a soft kiss on his neck. "Who's the sleepyhead now?" he asked quietly since Dylan and David were watching a movie.

"I was worried about you," she whispered into his neck.

"I know. I should have taken my phone or called you from Dylan's. I'm sorry babe. I just needed to get out and think and get my emotions in check."

She nodded, understanding him and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"I love your outfit," he winked.

She smiled shyly. "When I got out of the shower I remembered I didn't have any clean clothes. Plus yours are way more comfortable. I got Ashley to overnight me some though. And don't worry; she is going by your place to grab one of your suits and some shoes."

Zac smiled and kissed her nose. "You're the best. I wasn't even thinking about that."

She winked. "Don't worry, Efron. I've got you covered."

He leaned down and kissed her softly, pulling back after a moment, mindful that his father was in the room.

"What? No pillow in the face this time?" Zac asked Dylan questioningly.

Dylan shrugged and smiled. "Nah, not this time. I actually missed seeing that."

Vanessa smiled up at Zac. "Me too," they both replied, looking into each other's eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Vanessa woke up the next morning and rolled over to find an empty bed. She pulled the sheet around her tighter, the absence of a warm body making her cold. She reached over to find a hand written note on the bedside table.

"_Good morning, beautiful. I didn't want to wake you. You just looked too damn cute sleeping. I went out for a quick run down on the beach. I have my phone if you need me. Our clothes arrived this morning; they are hanging in the closet. –xoxoxoxoxoxoxo Zac"_

She smiled at the sweetness of the note, but giggled when she saw how many x's and o's he put. She knew he had probably laughed to himself while writing it, but that he sincerely meant every hug and kiss.

She placed the note back down and saw that it was only 8:07 am. She grabbed his pillow, wrapping her arms around it and inhaling the scent of him on it. She easily fell back to sleep.

Zac got down from the play set at the little park on Pismo Beach after doing 100 chin ups. He checked his phone to make sure no one had called and began running back home. He threw on the tank top that he was now carrying when he came to the bagel shop a block away from his neighborhood. He hoped no one recognized him as he walked inside, very sweaty.

Of course, everyone recognized and stared at him for a moment. He signed a couple of autographs for little girls that got really excited and with encouragement from their mom went up and shyly asked him.

He walked up to the counter and recognized the guy behind the counter as a boy that Dylan played soccer with in high school and was still really good friends with.

"Hey, Carlos, what's up man?" Zac asked.

"Hey Zac, nothing much. Just exhausted. Traded my afternoon shift to this morning so I could be with Dyl today."

Zac smiled. "Thanks bro. I'm sure that means a lot to him."

Carlos smiled and nodded. "What can I get ya?"

"Umm, one sesame seed bagel with low fat strawberry cream cheese, one blueberry bagel with regular cream cheese, one plain bagel with strawberry cream cheese, one chocolate milk and two low fat lattes."

"That'll be $16.67, man."

Zac pulled out his wallet and handed him his debit card. Carlos swiped it and handed it to him with a receipt and pen.

Zac signed the bill and handed it back to him. Carlos joked with him, "I could so sell this on eBay and make an ass load of money." Zac laughed and rolled his eyes. "If you were going to do that, you would have already stolen something from my old room and sold it," Zac said as Carlos handed him his order.

Carlos laughed and punched Zac's shoulder playfully. "I'll see you later, dude."

Zac nodded and walked out of the store, making his way back home. He noticed his parents were no longer home and figured they were with his grandma already. He walked inside and placed the bag and drinks on the counter. He heard Dylan in the shower so he just quickly walked downstairs and filled a bowl with ice.

He returned upstairs and silently opened the door before throwing the bowl of ice water into the shower. Dylan screamed in shock before glaring at Zac. "I'm going to kill you!" Zac was laughing so hard he was doubled over. "You screamed like a little girl!"

Dylan glared at him. Zac finally stopped laughing and smirked. "I got you a bagel and chocolate milk. It's downstairs."

Dylan nodded as he brother began to leave. "Alright, thanks bro." Dylan smiled as Zac closed the door. Sure, Dylan hated having freezing water thrown on him in the shower, but if it meant he got to spend time with his brother, he didn't really care. They had always played that prank on each other when they were younger and he was glad that hadn't changed.

Zac closed the door and made his way to his childhood bedroom. He quietly opened it to see Vanessa still sleeping, wrapped around his pillow. He leaned down and kissed her forehead softly before making his way to take a really quick shower.

Five minutes later, he reemerged with a towel around his waist. He slid on a pair of black Calvin Klein boxer briefs and walked over to the bed, pulling the pillow from her arms and sliding into them instead. He smiled as her face went from a look of confusion to a soft smile. She started to wake up when she felt two arms wrap around her. She buried her nose in his neck and sighed contently.

"You're back," she whispered.

"I am. And I brought bagels and coffee," he replied quietly as he gently scratched her back, which he knew she loved.

She pulled back and placed a kiss on his stubbly jaw. "You're amazing."

He smiled and leaned down slightly, connecting their lips in a kiss full of love and compassion. "I love you," he said as he pushed a curl out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"I love you too," she smiled. She sat up in bed, not caring if the sheet no longer covered her bare chest. "Our coffee is going to get cold," she said as she jumped off the bed excitedly. He chuckled and got up, watching her get dressed quickly.

"You know, I wouldn't have minded if you didn't get dressed," Zac winked.

"Really? So you wouldn't care if Dylan saw? Or Mom?" she said with raised eye brows.

"Mom, not so much. Dylan, absolutely. Good thing you got dressed," he said as he slapped her butt slightly as they descended down the stairs.

They sat at the barstools at the kitchen bar and began eating breakfast. "So you still stick to that crazy workout routine from The Lucky One?"

He swallowed the food in his mouth. "For the most part. Since then, I had the three movies back to back so working out was my stress relief. It gave me time to think about stuff and let me take out any frustration I had. I've been working out about five times a week. It makes everything else in the day seem easier and it gave me a way to get away from paparazzi and the media throwing questions at me constantly. When we…broke up…I had to find a way to deal with it all and I did it through working out. It, in a way, calmed me."

Vanessa nodded. "I get it. Sort of. I did that through the way I looked. Every time I looked in the mirror and saw myself, I saw you. So I cut my hair, changed the color, and started dressing like a hippie and gypsy. It was like a different me, so I didn't have to think about you, but it didn't help."

Zac nodded in understanding. "So are you going to start dressing in the jeans and cute flowy tops that I think are beautiful on you again? Because I miss that Vanessa, but I don't want you to change because of me. You should never change to make someone happy."

"I changed to try to make myself happy, but it didn't work. The old me is the real me. I'm glad I can be myself again and only dress all gypsy for Coachella and stuff like that."

Zac smiled and kissed her hand. "Whatever makes you happy, baby. I honestly don't care how you look. You always look beautiful."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Cheesy, Efron."

He laughed and finished his bagel as Dylan came into the kitchen wearing a pair of boxer briefs as well.

"What is with you two just walking around in boxer briefs?" Vanessa joked with them. In actuality, she didn't mind at all. She always loved seeing Zac in his boxer briefs, and with Dylan, it was like looking at her baby brother.

"You know you love it, sis in law," Dylan joked as she sat on the other side of her, beginning to eat his bagel.

Vanessa leaned her head against Zac's shoulder as she sipped her latte. "Are you guys ready for today?" she asked softly. Dylan nodded and smiled slightly. "Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

She leaned over and hugged him tightly. "It'll be okay, Dyl." He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Thanks for being here, Ness. I don't think I could handle Zac if you weren't."

"I'm sitting right here, you guys!" Zac said jokingly.

Vanessa giggled and kissed Zac's shoulder. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I'm glad I can be here for both of you."

"Plus, you can't resist the Efron charm," Dylan winked as Vanessa laughed loudly.

"I disagree. Many girls would die to be sitting on this very barstool, but eh, it's no big deal," she joked as she shrugged her shoulders.

"PUH-LEASE! You are loving life right now!" Dylan responded, playfully.

Vanessa rolled her eyes. "It's not like you guys are hot or anything."

Zac gasped, playing along. "That hurt, babe." He gave Dylan a look and they both started tickling her at the same time.

She squealed loudly, trying to catch her breath and wriggle out of their hands. "AHHH! STOP! S-S-STOP!" The boys stopped after another minute or two when she admitted they were hot and the boys high-fived victoriously.

Vanessa glared at both of them. "Better be glad I like you two, otherwise I'd be very upset right now."

"You love us," Zac said as he kissed her cheek. He jumped up, throwing away their trash from breakfast.

That afternoon, Zac parked his Audi in the driveway of his parent's home after returning from the funeral service. Zac had said a lovely speech that hadn't left a dry eye in the church. The ride home had been mostly silent, with Zac holding Vanessa's hand the entire way. There were many cars lined up outside his house, where close friends and family were gathering.

Vanessa noticed the look on Zac's face and got out before going around to his side and taking his hand. "Come on," she smiled as she pulled him along.

"Where are we going?" he asked as he walked beside her. Thankfully, he was glad he didn't have to go inside right then.

Vanessa ignored his question and continued to walk a few blocks until they reached the beach. It was around dusk, so no one was swimming in the water due to the increased chance of sharks. The beach had mostly cleared out and only a few people were left. Vanessa took off her heels, holding them in one hand as Zac did the same. They reconnected their empty hands and walked along the beach.

"Thank you. I wasn't ready to go in there." Zac smiled down at her softly.

"I could tell."

"Do you have any projects coming up?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"No, not for a while. I just finished doing everything for The Frozen Ground and Gimme Shelter. I have a couple scripts I am looking through for potential projects, but nothing for sure right now. You?"

"I have on coming out in January and one in March, but I'm in the same place you are. Looking through some scripts, talking to people. I have a couple meetings coming up for Ninjas Runnin' Wild, but other than that, I don't have anything."

"How is that doing? Producing?"

"It's good. It's very stressful, but it's cool to be able to pick through scripts and tweek a couple things and make a movie that potentially might not have been made before. I'm really enjoying it."

"I'm glad. I saw the Paperboy for the first time the other day. It was intense! But it was really good! It was weird to see John Cusack play that kind of a character, especially since I just worked with him and he played a totally different character."

"Yeah, John is awesome. The whole cast was. It was cool that each of them played a character totally different from what they've ever played before, ya know? Dylan was so excited when he went with me to the Cannes Film Festival to see it."

"He went with you? Oh boy, I bet he was excited! More excited than at the ESPY's?"

"Not even close! I had to promise to take him next time I go, but he thought Cannes was cool. So, Hudgens, The Lucky One and The Paperboy? What other movies of mine have you seen?" he asked with a smile playing on his face.

"Umm…all of them. But don't even act like you didn't see mine!"

"Fine, fine. You did really good in all of yours, Ness. I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks, babe. So did you. I can't wait to see the new ones."

Zac's phone rang, interrupting their conversation. Zac answered the call. "Jason, what's up, man?"

"_Zac, I'm really sorry to bother you today."_

"_It's fine man, what's going on?"_

"_Vanessa's manager just called me and we had a little chat. We both received offers this morning for you two to do a project together."_

"_Really? That's awesome! What is it?"_

"_Umm…an album."_

"_An album?! Dude, I haven't sang on an album in like 5 years!"_

"_I know, I know, but they want you and Vanessa to do an acoustic album together. She hasn't released an album in a while and you two don't have any upcoming projects. It would be really fun. Just think about it and talk it over and let me know, okay?"_

"_Alright, thanks man. Bye." _Zac hung up the phone and looked at V. "We got an offer to do an acoustic album together."

"What?! That's awesome!"

"So you want to do it?"

Vanessa smiled. "If you want to, I think it would be awesome! Would we have to write the songs?"

Zac shook his head. "No, he said to pick some out that we like and he will contact the artists to see if we can use their songs and all of that."

"It's up to you, Zac. You wanted to focus on acting and be taken as a serious actor, so it's your call."

"I want to. I think I've established myself enough for everyone to know that acting is my main career, but we both a break and it will be fun. Plus, I miss singing with you."

Vanessa leaned up and kissed him softly. "Me too. Let's do it!"

Zac texted Jason to let him know that they want to do the project. "Jason says we need to start looking for songs asap and let him know."

Vanessa nodded. "I'm so excited."

"Me too," he said as they walked back towards the house. "I learned a couple songs on guitar. I can play them for you and you can tell me what you think and we can add your vocals in if you want to start that way."

"Perfect," she smiled.

The next day, Zac and Vanessa were sitting in the backyard of the Efrons', sitting by the pool in their bathing suits.

"Go grab your guitar, baby," Vanessa said as she sat down on the lounge chair.

Zac nodded and ran upstairs, grabbing his guitar before coming back downstairs.

"You ready?" he asked.

She nodded and smiled, sitting up on the edge of her lounge chair, facing him so their knees touched.

He cleared his throat and began to play as he looked into her eyes.

_A still framed photograph of you and me together_

_Is all I have of you and me anymore_

_We were so in love and we thought it'd last forever._

_But in the torn by the storm._

_And I won't forget you_

_I cant forget you_

_And the hardest thing I've done is had to live without you_

_And I wonder why we both walked away_

_I'm lost without you, still crazy for you_

_Just turn around, come back_

_because your smile is overdue_

_And I miss you, I miss you._

_If I'd only knew the words to say_

_that would make you turn around (turn around)_

_I would say those words to you more than a million times._

_It's been forever but_

_that hasn't changed_

_what you mean to me._

_Darling, can't you see?_

_That I won't forget you_

_I can't forget you_

_And the hardest thing I've done is had to live without you_

_And I wonder why we both walked away_

_I'm lost without you, still crazy for you_

_Just turn around, come back_

_because your smile is overdue_

_And I miss you, I miss you_

_I'm sorry for all i did,_

_what i said and things i hid_

_I'm finally over me_

_Is that too late for you?_

_I can't imagine where I'd be_

_If you had never rescued me_

_You showed me what love is, and now I see_

_I won't forget you_

_I can't forget you_

_And the hardest thing I've done is had to live without you._

_And I wonder why we both walked away_

_I'm lost without you, still crazy for you_

_Just turn around, come back_

_because your smile is overdue_

_And I miss, I miss you_

_I won't forget you_

_I can't forget you_

_And the hardest thing I've done is had to live without you._

_And I wonder why we both walked away_

_I'm lost without you, still crazy for you_

_Just turn around, come back_

_because your smile is overdue_

_And I miss, I miss you_

_Cause I'm lost without you, still crazy for you_

_Just turn around, come back_

_because your smile is overdue_

_And I miss, I miss you_

Vanessa wiped the tears that were falling down her cheeks. "Who wrote that song? I love it." She whispered.

"I did." He said softly as he wiped her cheek.

She looked at him as she cried. "It's beautiful, Zac." She leaned over and kissed him softly.

"We don't have to use that one, I just wanted you to hear it. I haven't played it for anyone before."

"I think we should use it. But without my vocals. Just yours." She smiled.

He nodded and smiled. "What else ya got?"

He chuckled and resituated the guitar. "This is called The Other Side by Jason Derulo."

"That's one of my favorite songs!" she said excitedly.

"I knew you would like it when I first heard it." He began to play a slower, acoustic version. When she finished the song, she smiled big. "That was awesome!"

"This is the last one I can remember without the chords in front of me." Zac explained as he began to play.

Vanessa nodded and smiled. "It's called Lego House by Ed Sheeran."

_"Lego House"_

_I'm gonna pick up the pieces,_

_And build a Lego house_

_If things go wrong we can knock it down_

_My three words have two meanings,_

_There's one thing on my mind_

_It's all for you_

_And it's dark in a cold December, but I've got you to keep me warm_

_If you're broken I will mend you and I'll keep you sheltered from the storm that's raging on now_

_I'm out of touch, I'm out of love_

_I'll pick you up when you're getting down_

_And out of all these things I've done I think I love you better now_

_I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind_

_I'll do it all for you in time_

_And out of all these things I've done I think I love you better now, now_

_I'm gonna paint you by numbers_

_And colour you in_

_If things go right we can frame it and put you on a wall_

_And it's so hard to say it but I've been here before_

_Now I'll surrender up my heart_

_And swap it for yours_

_I'm out of touch, I'm out of love_

_I'll pick you up when you're getting down_

_And out of all these things I've done I think I love you better now_

_I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind_

_I'll do it all for you in time_

_And out of all these things I've done I think I love you better now_

_Don't hold me down_

_I think my braces are breaking, and it's more than I can take_

_And it's dark in a cold December, but I've got you to keep me warm_

_If you're broken I will mend you and I'll keep you sheltered from the storm that's raging on now_

_I'm out of touch, I'm out of love_

_I'll pick you up when you're getting down_

_And out of all these things I've done I think I love you better now_

_I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind_

_I'll do it all for you in time_

_And out of all these things I've done I think I love you better now_

_I'm out of touch, I'm out of love_

_I'll pick you up when you're getting down_

_[Album version ending:]_

_And out of all these things I've done I will love you better now_

_I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind_

_I'll do it all for you in time_

_And out of all these things I've done I think I love you better now_

_I'm out of touch, I'm out of love_

_I'll pick you up when you're getting down_

_And out of all these things I've done I will love you better now_

"Baby, you are SO good!" Vanessa praised him as he laid the guitar down. He smiled softly. "Thanks. I've been practicing. Taylor Swift taught me 'Pumped Up Kicks' and I've been learning new songs ever since."

"I know," she blushed, "I watched you on Ellen. Right after you dropped the condom on the red carpet the night before."

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and blushed as she looked at him with an amused look on his face. "Did that "We only hooked up once" shirt shrink too much?" she asked as he hid his face in his hands. (A/N: Reference to the Ellen Show interview with Zac and Taylor Swift in 2012)

He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't know. I don't need it now anyways," he winked. "I only need the 'lovers' shirt."

She giggled as he pulled her into his lap. "Good save, babe." She kissed his cheek. He stood up with a devious smirk on his face.

"Don't you dare! ZACHARY DAVID ALEXANDER EFRON PUT ME DOWN!" Vanessa yelled loudly as he jumped into the pool with her in his arms. She came back and crossed her arms, ignoring him as he swam to her. She slowly backed up under her back was against the wall.

"Don't be mad, baby."

"You know I hate getting my face wet!" she said to him, looking away, faking anger.

"Let me drive it off for you," he said as he started placing soft, light kisses all over her face before landing on her lips.

He smiled when she began to kiss back and wrapped her arms and legs around him under the water.

"I can't pretend to be mad at you when you kiss me like that," she said in defeat.

"That was the plan," he winked as she giggled and kissed him again.

The two newly reconnected lovers continued to frolic in the pool all afternoon, immensely enjoying being with each other once again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Here is the next chapter, hope you enjoy!**

**Ceciliaa93****: The song is "The Hardest Thing" by Tyler Ward!**

**Teenagehope07: Thank you so much! You're review was so sweet!**

Zac and Vanessa were laying in Zac's old bedroom, watching a movie while cuddled up in bed. It had been a little over two weeks since the funeral, and life was slowly getting back to normal. Zac looked down at where his and V's entwined fingers lay resting on his abdomen.

"Hey babe?" Zac asked.

"Hmm?"

"I've got a question for you. What would you say to staying here with me until Thanksgiving next week? Greg and Gina and StellaBella can come up that morning and we can have Thanksgiving together like we used to." He waited anxiously for her response. She looked up at him and smiled.

"I'd love to. I'll talk to mom in the morning and make sure it's cool with her, but it should be. She's been dying to see Starla again."

Zac smiled wide. They went back to watching the movie. Dylan walked in a few minutes later.

"Bro, come watch the Lakers game on tv with me and dad."

Zac looked at him, "Dude, I'm a little busy here."

Vanessa pulled away from him. "Go ahead, it's fine. Have boy bonding time. This is just a chick flick anyways." She had been feeling a little under the weather today and felt like she was going to throw up, but she didn't want Zac to know.

Zac smiled and kissed her softly before getting up and going downstairs with Dylan. He plopped down on the couch beside David as Dylan brought in beer for each of them. The three Efron men all watched the intense game.

Starla walked into the living room. "Where is Vanessa?" she asked as she stood behind the sofa were Zac was sitting, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Upstairs," he replied as he leaned his head back to look at his mom. "Dyl wanted man-bonding time."

Starla rolled her eyes. "Are Greg and Gina coming up for Thanksgiving in a few days?"

"Yeah, she talked to them the other day. They are excited."

"I can't wait!"

Starla walked into the kitchen and the boys continued watching the game.

An hour later, the game was ending as the men sat around, talking.

"I just ordered pizza, boys." Starla told them as she made her way up the stairs.

"Okay, mom!" Dylan called back.

Starla walked into Zac's bedroom to see an empty room. She saw the bathroom door half closed and quickly walked in when she heard Vanessa throwing up. "Sweetheart? Are you okay?" she asked softly as she rubbed her back.

Vanessa shook her head as tears started to fall. She flushed the toilet and sank to bathroom floor, her back against the shower door.

Starla sat beside her and wrapped her arms around her. "How long have you been sick?"

Vanessa wiped her tears as she tried to think. "I started feeling nauseous a few days ago, but I haven't throw up until today. It's been like two or three times today. And I feel so weak."

"Are those the only symptoms you've been feeling?" Starla said as she ran her fingers through Vanessa's hair.

"I've been having some dizzy spells today, but nothing too bad. The nausea is just overwhelming today. And I've felt the most exhausted I ever have before."

"Does Zac know? That you've been feeling sick?"

"No. Please don't tell him. I don't want him to worry. He has just gotten back to being himself."

"I won't. I have to ask…you're not pregnant are you?"

Vanessa's eyes widened. "Oh god," she gasped as she covered her mouth and tears began to fall rapidly.

"I…I'm late," she choked out, "but only by a few days. I've never been even a day late before, though."

"Don't freak out until you know for sure. You can take a test or I can go with you to the doctor, whichever you want to do."

Vanessa nodded and took a deep breath. "I will go to the doctor tomorrow. Will you go with me?"

"Of course, I will. But are you sure you'd rather have me go than Zac?"

Vanessa nodded quickly. "Please don't say anything to him about it. I need to know for sure. If I'm not, I wouldn't want him to have worried over nothing, but if I am I need to get the courage to tell him and give him a way out. I wouldn't want his career to go down the drain because of it."

"Sweetheart, if you are, I know he won't want a way out. He has already lost you once and I doubt he will let it happen again. And neither one of your careers will go down the drain. Just be careful, okay? I don't want to see either one of you hurt. And you may want to let him know you aren't feeling well. You are an amazing actress, but you know that he can read you like a book."

Vanessa nodded and sighed. "I know. He always has been able to. Honestly, I'm surprised he hasn't picked up on the fact I'm not feeling well."

"Well I won't say a word unless I feel it is absolute necessary."

Vanessa nodded and smiled softly. "Thanks, Mom." She stood up when Starla did.

"The pizza for dinner should be here in a minute. I'm going to head down and get the table ready."

"I'm just going to brush my teeth and I will be down."

Starla smiled and kissed her forehead before walking downstairs.

Vanessa splashed her face with cold water and brushed her teeth. She pulled her dark brown curls out of the ponytail, hoping it would make her headache go away. She rubbed her temples, wishing the throbbing aches to go away. She bent down to pick up the hairbrush she dropped on the floor.

The room began to spin as she stood back up. She grabbed onto the counter, trying to regain a clear head as a sharp pain pierced her lower abdomen. "Zac?" she called out. She realized she didn't have the energy to scream his name. She grabbed onto the doorframe as she left the bathroom, trying to make her way to the stairs.

She shook her head softly as everything began to get blurry and more pains stabbed throughout her stomach. She grabbed the top of the banister at the top of the stairs, beginning to make her way down the top step as her legs began to buckle underneath her. She tried to get enough strength to call out. "Z-Zac!" she said as loud as she could with little energy as everything went dark.

Zac jumped up, followed by the other Efrons as a loud bang was heard at the steps. He ran to the steps. "NESSA!" he screamed as he saw her tumbling down the steps. He grabbed her head, keeping it from hitting anything. "Call 911!" he screamed as he lifted her body, laying her flat on the hardwood floor at the base of the stairs.

"Nessa, baby, wake up." he said as he slapped her cheek slightly.

Dylan grabbed the phone, dialing 911.

"_911, what's your emergency?"_

"_Help! My sister in law has just fallen down the stairs. She is unconscious!"_

"_is she breathing?"_

Dylan looked at Zac for confirmation. _"Yeah, she is. But her pulse is getting weaker and speeding up"_

"_An ambulance is on it's way."_

Dylan stayed on the line as the ambulance was heading towards the house.

Starla took a deep breath. "Zac, when I went upstairs earlier, Vanessa was throwing up. I promised I wouldn't say anything because she wanted to be sure, but she thinks she may be pregnant. She said she had been a little dizzy today, but has been extremely nauseous."

Zac looked at Starla with wide eyes. He swallowed the lump in his throat and looked down at Vanessa. He squeezed his eyes shut tight before slowly opening them again. "Her health is my main concern. We can worry about the rest later."

Starla nodded and opened the door as the ambulance arrived. The paramedics came in and worked around Zac as he refused to let go of her hand.

"_What's her name?" _one of the paramedics asked as the other began to check her vitals.

"_Vanessa Hudgens." _Zac replied to his questions as he began writing them down on a chart.

"_How old is she?"_

"_24"_

"_Date of birth?"_

"_12-14-88"_

"_Is she allergic to anything?"_

"_No."_

"_Does she have any diseases or medical conditions?"_

"_No."_

"_Is she pregnant?"_

"_Um….possibly. We aren't sure."_

Zac sighed as they placed a neck brace on Vanessa as a precaution due to the fall. They carefully placed her on a stretcher. David walked into the foyer where they all were after returning from grabbing his keys and wallet, along with Zac's phone and wallet.

They all walked outside as Vanessa was lifted into the ambulance.

"Go with her, son. We will follow," David told him as he squeezed his shoulder. Zac nodded and climbed into the ambulance as it sped away.

David, Starla, and Dylan climbed into the car, quickly following the ambulance as best they could.

David looked over at Starla before quickly putting his eyes back on the road. "So, we might be grandparents?"

Starla shrugged her shoulders. "It's a possibility. But if she is pregnant, I doubt she would be after that fall. I just hope she doesn't have any serious injuries."

Dylan sat in the back seat. "Why does shit always have to happen to them? They just got back to being happy."

"I know," David agreed. "Should we call Gina and Greg?"

Starla shook her head. "Let's wait until we know for sure. I wouldn't want them to drive up here if it's nothing serious."

When they arrived at the hospital, they walked into the emergency room waiting area to see it empty except for Zac sitting in a chair, crying with his head in his hands.

Dylan rushed over to his side, concerned for his brother. "Where is she, bro?'

Zac looked up as he wiped his eyes. "Upstairs for x-rays and stuff."

Starla sat on the other side of him and rubbed his back, soothingly.

"She's going to be okay, bro. She is a fighter." Dylan told him.

Zac squeezed the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. "I can't lose her, Dyl. I can't."

"You're not going to. She'll wake up and be fine. I promise."

Zac's ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and leaned his head back against the wall, clenching his eyes shut.

_Please let her be okay, God. I need her to be okay. I can't lose her again._ His thoughts were interrupted as a doctor walked up to them.

"Mr. Efron?"

Zac stood up to shake the doctors hand. "How is she?" Zac asked.

"She is awake and talking, Mr. Efron. The x-rays showed no broken bones and the CAT scan showed no internal bleeding or brain damage."

"So she is going to be okay?" Zac asked confused.

The doctor looked at Zac with a solemn look on his face. "After doing some blood work, we confirmed that Ms. Hudgens is indeed pregnant."

Zac took in a deep breath as he sat down, rubbing his hand over his face. He looked back up at the doctor. "But?" Zac asked.

"We did an ultrasound and found out that it is an ectopic pregnancy."

Starla gasped silently and covered her mouth.

"What does that mean?" Zac asked the doctor.

"It means the fertilized egg did not implant in the uterus, instead it implanted in the fallopian tube. It is extremely dangerous for the mother and without immediate surgery and removal of the embryo the mother will not survive. This pregnancy is general is what caused her nausea, but the extremeness of it, the dizziness, and abdominal pain is because of the ectopic pregnancy."

"So, she needs surgery? Immediately?"

The doctor nodded. "We will do a salpingostomy. The ectopic growth is removed through a small, lengthwise cut in the fallopian tube. The cut is left to close by itself or is stitched closed and the hospital stay is only overnight. Since it is early in the pregnancy, it shouldn't have caused damage to her fallopian tube yet."

"So, it won't affect fertility or getting pregnant later on?"

Starla realized now, looking at her son talking with the doctor just how much he has grown up and matured. He was scared to death of losing the love of his life and was already thinking about having children later on in life with the girl she thought of as a daughter. She knew they would overcome this situation and come out of it stronger, but she knew it would be tough at first.

"No, since there won't be damage done yet, chances of a normal pregnancy down the road are very, very good."

Zac nodded and sighed as he took in all of this information. "Can I see her?"

The doctor nodded and Zac followed him to her room. He took a deep breath and stepped into the room as the doctor went to prep for surgery. He gently closed the door and smiled softly as she opened her eyes to look at him.

"Hey, beautiful" he said softly as he kissed her forehead and grabbed her hand. "How ya feeling?"

She smiled as she looked into his blue eyes that were full of concern. "I've been better. But I'm glad you are here. I'm scared, Zac."

"I know, baby. I am too. We can talk about it all later, I am just concerned about your health first and foremost. We'll get through this though, okay?"

She nodded and smiled softly as he leaned down and gently kissed her lips. "I wish I could be in there with you." He said as he tucked a curl behind her ear.

"Me too. I just want to get it over with. It hurts so bad, it feels like someone is stabbing me."

"I'm sorry, I should have been more careful."

"Zac, it's not your fault. When I had that cold last week, the doctor said the medicine I took interfered with my birth control, making it not work. We had no way of knowing this would happen."

Zac nodded, still feeling slightly guilty. "I wish I could take the pain away from you."

"I'm glad you can't. That would be scary if you were pregnant. Although, we could make millions."

Zac laughed and shook his head. "You're silly, Hudgens."

The anesthesiologist walked in. "You ready to take a nap Vanessa?" he asked jokingly.

Vanessa nodded slightly and looked up to Zac. His heart hurt as he saw the fear in her eyes. He cupped her cheeks softly and looked into her eyes. "It will be okay, baby. If this means keeping you in my life, so be it. We will get past this. If after this, you want a baby, dammit I will try my hardest to give it to you, but I need you to be strong for me and get through this okay? I need you in my life."

She nodded softly as a tear escaped her eye. He wiped it away with his thumb and smiled. "Everything happens for a reason, baby. I love you and I'm not going anywhere. I'll be waiting on you when you come out, okay? I love you, Vanessa."

She smiled, "I love you too, Zac. So much. See you soon," she whispered as the anesthesia took over.

"See you soon," he said as they rolled her away and down the hall.

He ran his hand through his hair and made his way out to the waiting room. "Is she in surgery?" Dylan asked.

Zac nodded. "Yeah. She just went back." He said softly. He pulled out his phone and began going through the contacts. He took a deep breath as he hit the call button on his phone.

"_Hello?"_

"_Gina? It's Zac."_

"_Zac! Sweetheart, how are you?"_

Zac took a deep breath as he felt his mom squeeze his knee. She knew how hard this call would be. Zac hadn't talked to Greg or Gina since they had gotten back together, and she knew how scared Zac was going to be to tell Greg and Gina what happened.

"_Gina, it's Vanessa."_

"_Vanessa? Zachary, what's going on? Is my baby okay?"_

"_She is going to be okay. I don't want you to freak out, but we are at the hospital. Vanessa fainted down the stairs earlier and wasn't responding so we called an ambulance."_

"_I have had a sick feeling in my stomach all day. Is she hurt? Did they say what caused her to faint?"_

"_Gina, I don't know how to tell you this…..Vanessa was pregnant."_

"_Was? What do you mean?"_

A few tears fell down his cheeks as Starla wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug.

"_It was an ectopic pregnancy. She is in surgery right now to remove it. Otherwise….otherwise it would have k-k-killed her."_

"_Oh my! Are you okay, Zac?"_

Zac thought about the question before responding. _"As long as she is okay, so am I."_

"_We will head up there now, if we need to."_

"_No, it's okay. She will have to stay overnight, but she will be able to go home tomorrow. Plus, you guys are coming up here tomorrow night anyways for Thanksgiving. If she needs you, I will call you immediately."_

"_Okay, please keep me updated and we will see you tomorrow. Thank you for calling, sweetheart."_

"_You're welcome, bye Gina."_

Zac hung up the phone and continued to cry softly into his mother's shoulder. David rubbed his back softly.

"I know what you are thinking, son. It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault. It just wasn't meant to be. But when the time is right, you will know it. As for the surgery, she will be just fine. She is a strong woman and you will get through it together."

Zac nodded and pulled away from Starla, wiping his eyes. Zac's phone started to ring and he answered it when he saw "Big Sister" flash across the screen.

"_Hospital?! Surgery?! Zachary Efron how dare you text me that and not elaborate! What is going on?"_

Zac felt the lump in his throat as he realized he had to explain the story again.

"_Ash…."_

Ashley softened immediately as she heard the seriousness and vulnerability in his voice.

"_Zac, what's going on? Is Vanessa okay?"_

"_She's in surgery, Ash." _Zac went on to explain the story to Ashley, managing to hold in his tears this time.

"_Oh my god, but is she going to be okay?"_

"_Yeah, Ash. I think so."_

He heard a sigh of relief on the other side of the phone. Then, she went back to big sister mode.

"_What have I told you about safe sex, Zachary David?!"_

He chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. _"It wasn't my fault, Ash. It was the medication she took a few weeks ago when she had that cold. It messed with her birth control."_

"_Oh. I was about to drive up to SLO and kick your butt, Efron. You just got back together. Although, a baby Zanessa would totally be the cutest damn thing in the world and I could be an aunt again!"_

"_Slow down, Ash."_

"_I know, I know, both of you want to work on your careers more before you think about babies, but all I'm saying is that it wouldn't have been the end of the world."_

"_I know."_

"_Well call me if you need anything, Zac. I'm serious. I'll be up there in a heartbeat."_

"_I know, and I will. Thanks, Ash. Love you."_

"_Love you too. Give Nessa a hug for me."_

"_Will do. Bye." _ He hung up the phone and texted his and Vanessa's managers to let them know what was going on and to try to make sure the paparazzi didn't find out.

The doctor walked out and took of his scrub cap. "Mr. Efron, Vanessa is out of surgery and is recovering. Everything went great. You can go back and see her and I will be in to check on her in a little while."

Zac shook the doctor's hand. "Thanks so much, Doc."

Zac and his family quickly made their way to Vanessa's room. Zac kissed her forehead as she slept and sat down in the chair beside her bed, taking her small hand in his larger one.

Starla sat in the other chair against the wall. Zac kissed her hand and looked at her face, mesmerized by her beauty. Even though she had just gotten out of surgery, she looked more beautiful than ever to Zac. The way her long eyelashes splayed out perfectly against her cheekbones. The way her slightly pink lips were resting in a peaceful, straight line. She looked perfect.

"Zac, sweetie, we are going to head home. It's almost 1 am. Are you going to stay here?" Starla asked.

Zac nodded. "Yeah, I'm not leaving her. The doctor said she should be able to be discharged a little after lunch time. I will call you when I know for sure."

Starla nodded and hugged him before kissing Vanessa's forehead softly. "Bye Sweetie." David and Dylan said bye before the three of them left. Zac turned off the lights, except for the dim lamp resting on the nightstand beside the hospital bed. He kissed her lips gently before sitting back in the chair and resting his head on the side of the bed. "Goodnight baby, I love you," he whispered before he fell asleep.

Vanessa's eyes fluttered open and she looked around, trying to figure out her surroundings. She smiled softly and gently ran her fingers through Zac's hair as he slept. His eyes fluttered open and he lifted his head. "Hey baby," he said quietly. She opened her mouth to respond, but winced in pain at her dry, scratchy throat.

He got up and got her a cup of water and sat back down, handing it to her. "Hey," she smiled. "You're still here."

"Of course I am. I promised I would be, plus they would have to carry me out of here, kicking and screaming before I left your side."

She smiled softly. "Can I have a kiss?"

He smiled and got up, carefully leaning over her before connecting their lips in a sweet, loving kiss. She pulled back and raised her hand, running it through his hair. She winced in discomfort as she slid over and patted the bed beside her.

"You sure?" he asked as he pushed the chair away.

She nodded. "I just want to be in your arms. And I don't think I can sleep without you next to me. Plus, it won't be the first time we've shared a hospital bed."

Zac smiled as he took off his shoes and thought back to when he had emergency surgery to remove his appendix and Vanessa slept in his hospital bed for two nights because she refused to leave his side.

He lay on his side, wrapping both arms around her carefully as he kissed her temple. She snuggled up to him and sighed contently.

"I called your mom and told her what was going on. She told me to tell you she loved you. And Ashley says to give you a hug, which I'm effectively doing now. And Jason and Matt (their managers) send their well wishes. And my parents and Dyl said to tell you they loved you too."

Vanessa smiled softly. "Thank you for calling everyone. I'm sorry you had to go through this."

Zac shook his head. "Don't apologize. We will talk about it when we get home. Just get some rest for now, babe."

She nodded and fell asleep almost immediately.

Zac woke up for the fourth time that night as the nurse once again came in to check on Vanessa. Zac forgot how hard it was to try to sleep in a hospital. He was thankful Vanessa had slept through the night, though.

Zac walked into the house holding Vanessa's hand as they walked into the house. Dylan rushed to her and hugged her tightly.

She giggled softly as he hugged her.

"Careful, Dyl." Zac warned as he kicked off his shoes.

"Don't scare me like that, Nessa! I was freaked out!"

"Sorry, Dyl. I promise I will try to make sure it doesn't happen again," she joked. Starla walked in a hugged her, kissing her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better. A little sore, but nothing I can't handle. I'm just glad to be out of the hospital."

David smiled and hugged her gently. They looked over to see Zac already asleep on the couch. Dylan went outside for a swim with David as Starla walked into the kitchen. Vanessa kissed Zac's lips softly, hoping to wake him up. She smiled in victory when she felt him start to kiss back. She pulled away and he smiled.

"Let's go upstairs, baby. I want to nap, too." She suggested.

He nodded and got up, walking up the stairs behind her as they made their way to his room. They both changed into comfortable clothes and climbed into bed, falling into a much needed, peaceful slumber.


	6. Chapter 6

Starla opened the door when the doorbell rang to find Gina, Greg, and Stella Hudgens standing on the front porch. Gina smiled big and hugged Starla as she welcomed them in. David came in saying welcome as they all made their way inside. David and Greg went to the living room and the mothers and Stella made their way to the kitchen.

"Can I get you two anything to drink?" Starla asked.

They all started to drink some tea as they caught up. The three girls looked up as Zac walked into the kitchen wearing some basketball shorts and a tank top. He rubbed his eyes and smiled.

"Zac!" Stella said excitedly as she ran to hug him.

"Hey StellaBella!" he excited as he hugged her and lifted her off the ground, twirling her around before settling her feet back on the ground. "Hey Gina," he said charmingly as he hugged her. "How have you been?"

"I've been great. How is Vanessa doing?"

"Good. She is sleeping right now. I've got to go pick up her medicine from the store. Do you guys need anything?"

The said no and Zac grabbed his keys and wallet before leaving.

Gina smiled to Starla. "You've raised an amazing young man."

"Thank you, but I only helped shape him into who he is. Vanessa is the one that keeps him that way. These past three years, it was like a different person had taken over his body. He just wasn't acting completely like Zac. Now that they are together, it's like I have my little boy back."

"I completely understand. I'm just glad they came to their senses."

Starla nodded in agreement.

Starla and Gina were sitting across from each other at the table, while Stella was sitting beside Gina, half into the conversation while messing around on her phone.

They were interrupted a little while later when Vanessa walked into the kitchen. "Mommy?" she said quietly as she emerged wearing a pair of shorts that were hidden under Zac's large t-shirt that engulfed her. Gina stood up and hugged her carefully.

"Oh, sweetie, how are you feeling? Are you okay?"

Vanessa nodded and smiled softly. "I'm okay. Just in some pain. Where is Zac?"

"He went to get your medicine from the pharmacy, sweetie. He will be back soon."

Vanessa nodded as she hugged Stella. "Hey Tete, I missed you."

"I missed you too, Nessy."

Stella sat back down and Vanessa sat in the seat beside Starla, across from Stella. She laid her head on her arms, resting on the table. Starla rubbed her back softly and smiled.

"Are you sure you still want to go out for dinner tonight? If you don't feel like it, we can always stay in and get something," Starla assured her.

Vanessa smiled. "I'm sure. I want to get out of the house. I just need this pain to go away."

As if on cue, the door in the kitchen that led to the garage opened, revealing the handsome blue-eyed boy that she loved. He smiled when he saw she was awake, but could tell she was in pain. He was holding a bag, which he put down on the counter. He grabbed a spoon from the drawer and a bottle of water before making his way over to the table. Not caring that there were other chairs he could sit in, she stood up so he could sit in her seat. She then sat on his lap and he smiled. He kissed her temple softly before wrapping his arms around her waist softly so she could lean into his chest. She pulled the items out of the bag, revealing her medicine, a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, a chocolate bar, and some sour patch kids.

She smiled widely and kissed him. "You're the best. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he smiled back. She immediately took her medicine and began to eat her ice cream, feeding him every so often.

Zac absentmindedly played with one of her long curls as he engrossed himself in a conversation with the women.

Dylan walked into the kitchen and smiled. "Stella! What's up, little sis?" he said as he hugged her tightly. "What have you been up to? You look so different!"

"You too! You finally cut that mop off of your head!" she joked as she hugged him back.

"Ha Ha Ha," he deadpanned as he hugged Gina. He grabbed something to drink before sitting beside Zac.

Vanessa leaned her head against Zac's chest, sitting sideways on his lap as she finished eating all the ice cream she wanted at that moment. She snuggled into him, closing her eyes.

Zac kissed her forehead and held her close, rubbing her thighs gently. He smiled as he felt her drift off into sleep.

"The anesthesia must still be wearing off," Gina smiled at him.

Zac nodded. "I think so."

Greg and David walked into the room and Zac instantly felt nervous. Greg had always scared the living hell out of Zac when he and Vanessa started dating, but before long they were getting along great. Greg was a big supporter of their relationship back then and had come to think of Zac as a son.

So now Zac didn't know why he was scared. He was scared he would have to start all over with Greg and he was scared that Greg wouldn't support their relationship this time around. Greg smiled and walked over to Zac, shaking his hand. "How have you been, son?" Greg asked as he sat down in the chair beside Stella, across from Dylan.

"I've been alright, Greg. How about you?"

"Well I've been great since I've known my daughter is back in your care," he smiled honestly.

Zac smiled widely and nodded. "I'm glad she is."

He dropped a kiss to the top of Vanessa's head as he looked down at her sleeping peacefully. The Hudgens and Efrons continued catching up with one another for close to an hour before they all decided to get ready to go out to a nice dinner. Zac stood up, not waking Vanessa and walked upstairs carrying her. He locked the door and gently laid her on the bed, kissing her softly after releasing her from his arms. He climbed into the shower and washed his hair and body, before getting out. He wrapped a towel around his waist and put a little bit of gel in his hair so it wouldn't go completely wild.

He walked out to see Vanessa crying softly, holding his pillow tight to her.

"Hey, shhhh, baby, what's wrong?" he asked as he quickly slipped in bed beside her, removing the pillow and pulling her close as he wiped her tears.

She shook her head and refused to look him in the eyes. "You're going to think I'm silly."

"I promise you, I won't laugh even if I do." She took a deep breath and Zac knew what was coming. She looked into his eyes and he felt his heart crack inside.

"I know that baby wasn't planned. And I don't think either one of us in ready or will be for a few years, but I can't help but feel like….."

"Like it was taken from us unfairly?" Zac finished for her as he looked deep into her eyes.

She nodded and continued to cry. "It was something we made, Zac. Out of love. Even if it wasn't planned, it was still me and you."

Zac sighed and pulled her head to his chest as she began to cry harder. He tangled one of his hands in her hair and rubbed her lower back with his other. "I know it was baby, but you are right. Neither of us is ready for a baby. When it's meant to happen, it will. And I can promise you that one day, we will have a baby together because I'm never letting you go again. Ness, I can't begin to explain how scared shitless I was when I saw you tumbling down the stairs, or when you were laying there next to me on the floor unconscious, or when I was holding your hand in the back of the ambulance as we rushed to the hospital and when the doctor told me you needed surgery to remove our baby or else you would die….. I physically felt sick. I went through hell yesterday and the thought of losing you permanently….it killed me inside."

Vanessa pulled back and wiped the tears from her cheeks before kissing him passionately. "You're not getting rid of me that easily, Efron. I've just got you back," she joked. He cracked a small smile and she did too in return.

"I love you," she said as she looked into his eyes and caressed his cheek softly.

"I love you too, baby," he said as he kissed her softly. "We've got to get ready for dinner."

She nodded and they both got up, getting ready. Zac pulled on some black dress pants and shoes. He sprayed on his cologne before putting on a white button up shirt. Finally he pulled on his tie and jacket. He turned around to see Vanessa pulling on a long-sleeved short, white dress. He motioned for her to sit down as he helped her put on her heels.

"I must have found my Cinderella," he joked with a big smile as he put the second shoe on.

"Thank you, Prince Charming," she smiled as she kissed him softly.

He smiled as he took in her beautiful long, curly hair that cascaded down her back and shoulders. "You're beautiful," he said sincerely as he looked her straight in the eye.

She couldn't help but blush and smile softly. She pecked his lips as they stood up.

"I don't feel like carrying a purse," she whined.

"Don't baby. You don't need anything."

She nodded and they left the room, heading downstairs. She smiled widely when she saw her father and she hugged him tightly. "Daddy!"

He laughed and hugged her back. "Hey baby V, how you feeling?"

"I'm okay, nothing I can't handle," she smiled as she pulled back. When everyone was in the living room, David spoke up. "Zac, why don't you drive us and Greg can drive too so that way they get to spend some time with Vanessa."

Zac didn't like the idea of being separated from Vanessa, even if it was only a twenty minute drive, but he knew Greg and Gina probably wanted some time with her alone. He nodded and grabbed his keys. "That's cool." They all stood up and went to walk outside. They started getting into the cars as Zac pulled Vanessa into a hug and kissed her softly. "I love you," he said softly.

"Love you too, baby boo." She smiled softly. She pecked his lips one more time as he opened the backseat to Gina's Lexus SUV and Vanessa climbed in. He closed the door and got into the driver's seat of his Audi, pressing the start button. When the engine started, he backed out of his driveway and Greg followed.

"Shit," Zac said under his breath as he released the gaslight on. Zac knew he would have to stop at a gas station where paparazzi would hound him, more than likely.

"What?" Starla asked concerned.

"I need gas and the paparazzi will more than likely be there and hound me like crazy." He sighed as he pulled into a gas station and saw some camera guys already standing around. He pulled on some sunglasses and got out as he saw Greg pull up to the pump behind him, obviously needing gas too. Zac motioned for him to stay in the car.

Zac used his card and began pumping his own gas.

"_Zac! How are you? Where's Vanessa?! Why was she at the hospital?!"_

Zac did his best to ignore the paparazzi, but they were so damn annoying. He knew they were only doing their job, but it still got on his nerves. Dylan got out of the car and started pumping Zac's gas. "I got it, bro." Dylan said as he took over.

Zac nodded and walked to the SUV parked behind him. Paparazzi had gathered around it as they realized the Hudgens' were inside.

Zac hated talking to the paparazzi, but he knew he would have to in order to get them away from the car.

"_Talk to us Zac! Just give us a statement!"_

Zac sighed as he pulled out his wallet and used his card to start the pump. He stood protectively in front of Vanessa's car door as he pumped the gas.

"_How is Vanessa? Why was she in the hospital?"_

"_She's fine. None of your business, dude." _Zac replied with a clenched jaw.

"_How are you enjoying your time home? What are you doing for Thanksgiving?"_

Zac put on his best straight face and ignored the rest of their comments. He was nearly done pumping gas when one of them stepped over the line. _"Is it true, Zac? Was Vanessa pregnant? Did she have an abortion?"_

Zac felt his blood boil as he spun around towards the paparazzi and got in his face, backing the guy up so the photographer's back was touching the hood of Gina's SUV. "What the fuck did you just say?!" Dylan heard what happened and ran over, knowing Zac was about to do something he may regret later. Dylan threw his arm around Zac's shoulder, and said quietly under his breath as he prayed Zac didn't fight his way out of his grip. "Don't do it, bro. It's not worth it."

Zac took a deep breath as he replaced the gas nozzle and put the gas cap back on. Zac looked into the backseat and saw that Vanessa was crying. Zac wanted nothing more than to climb in the backseat with her, but he knew if he did, the paparazzi would be able to get some pictures while the door was open. Dylan pulled him away from the car and Zac quickly pulled off, followed by Greg. Zac was clenching the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles were turning white.

The car stayed silent until Zac spoke up a few minutes later. "Thanks bro."

Dylan nodded and smiled. "No problem."

When they pulled up to the restaurant twenty minutes later, they got out at the valet services. Zac handed his keys over as he quickly went to Vanessa's door. He opened it and felt relieved when he saw her smiling.

She quickly got out and hugged him tight.

"Are you okay?" he asked as they all began to walk inside. She nodded reassuringly and smiled. "Yeah, I'm good. Thank you for what you did. I thought you were going to beat his ass."

"I would have if it hadn't been for Dylan."

She squeezed his hand, telling him she was indeed okay and they walked up to the hostess.

"_Hello, how many do you have?"_

"_8," David replied._

"_Name?"_

"_Efron."_

The waitress seemed slightly shocked when she looked up and realized who exactly was standing in front of her.

"_Right this way, please._" She said as she led them to their table. The table had four seats on each side. Starla, Zac, Vanessa, and Greg sat on one side, while David, Dylan, Stella, and Gina sat across from them, respectively. Vanessa rested her left hand on Zac's thigh as she looked through the menu. He placed an arm around the back of her chair, protectively as he looked over it as well.

As they began to eat their dinner, the conversation between the two families flowed very easily.

"Are you boys excited to go to the Giants game tomorrow?" Gina asked. The families had planned for the men to go to the baseball game while the women had a relaxing spa day together.

"Yes ma'am! I can't wait!" Dylan replied excitedly.

They all enjoyed their dinner and dessert. When the waitor brought out the check, Zac quickly grabbed the bill, placing his card inside.

Vanessa grabbed his hand tightly, under the table, her short nails digging into his skin.

"What's wrong?" he asked, worried.

"Nothing, it's fine." She said as she still squeezed his hand.

"Baby, look at me. Tell me what hurts."

Zac's mind automatically went into overdrive, fearing the worst. "You're not…bleeding are you?" he asked quietly.

She shook her head. "I just think my medicine has wore off. Can we go home?"

He nodded quickly and he explained to everyone that Vanessa wasn't feeling well. They all got up and stood outside, waiting for valet to receive their cars. Zac took off his jacket and held it open, for V to put it on. When paparazzi started to come around them, Zac quickly hid her face in his chest, keeping his arms around her.

Thankfully the paparazzi didn't hound them with questions. Zac went to help Vanessa into the SUV but she shook her head. He knew that meant she wanted him to ride with her. He threw his keys to David and climbed into the backseat with Vanessa and Stella. The families began to pull off. Zac finally let his grip around Vanessa loosen as they pulled out of the parking lot. She sighed, but kept her face in his chest.

"I think they have gotten worse." Gina commented. "They had seemed to calm down."

"That's because Austin always broke the camera with his ugly face," Stella said under her breath, making Zac laugh.

He felt Vanessa giggle and he placed a kiss in her hair.

She winced everytime she felt a pain course through her and Zac knew it because she would squeeze his shirt tightly in her fists. He would rub her back soothingly and kiss the top of her head over and over until it subsided.

When they reached the Efron's house, Zac immediately got her medicine and helped her to the two person, oversized chair in the living room. He took off her heels before placing a blanket over her toned, tanned legs. "I'm going to go change and I'll be right back," he said as he kissed her softly. She nodded and smiled as a newly changed Dylan sat beside her.

He saw she was still in a little bit of pain. "I know I'm no Zac, but I'm pretty damn close," he joked as he opened his arms. She giggled, but winced in pain as she rested her head against his shoulder. As everyone else returned from changing, they sat around in the living room, with Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving playing in the background.

"See, I told you she couldn't resist the Efron charm," Dylan joked to everyone as Vanessa hit his chest.

"I hate to tell ya son, but I think you're being used as a temporary replacement." David shot back at him.

Vanessa giggled as Dylan faked a dramatic gasp. She squeezed her eyes shut when another wave of pain came. She felt Dylan remove his arm from around her, but she didn't protest as she felt herself being lifted up in two strong arms, before coming to a rest on someone's lap. She didn't have to open her eyes to know who it was. She could tell by his smell, his touch, and just his presence in general. She immediately buried her face in his neck as he rubbed her back softly.

"Damn, I was just being used," Dylan joked.

Everyone laughed and shook their head. Zac began to run his fingers through her hair gently, knowing it had almost an immediate calming effect on her. When he felt her fists unclench his t-shirt, he knew it was helping. She placed a light kiss on his neck in thanks and relaxed against him.

Starla and Gina watched the interaction knowingly and smiled to one another.


	7. Chapter 7

Vanessa walked into the Efron home, inching to see the blue-eyed boy she loved. She had an amazing day with Starla, Gina, and Stella, but she couldn't wait to be back with Zac. They hadn't been able to talk to each other all day, promising their families a strict guy/girl-bonding day.

It was 8 pm when the girls returned home after a day at the spa, shopping, and dinner. Zac was standing in the kitchen, getting a drink when he turned around to see Vanessa walking into the kitchen. He quickly sat down his glass and opened his arms as she ran to him, hugging him tightly. He hugged her tightly before kissing her.

"Hey, I missed you." He said huskily into her neck.

She giggled softly and kissed him again. "I missed you too! How was the game?"

He tucked a curl behind her ear as he looked into her eyes, smiling. "Awesome! It was a close game, but went into extra innings and the giants ended up winning by a grand slam!"

Vanessa smiled big at his excitement. "That's awesome! Did you get attacked by anyone?"

"Nah, nothing out of the normal. Just some pictures and autographs. Wasn't too bad. How was the spa and shopping?"

"Good. It was very relaxing."

"I'm glad. You deserved it." He said as he leaned down and kissed her again. "How are you feeling?"

"Way better. I had a little pain this morning, but I haven't had any since."

"That's awesome babe!"

Vanessa woke up the next morning to see Zac watching her sleep. She smiled and kissed him lovingly.

When they pulled apart, she could see excitement in Zac's eyes. She rolled her eyes and giggled. "Excited for the parade?"

He nodded and smiled big.

She kissed his lips once more. "Go ahead and go downstairs, I will be there in a minute."

He jumped up, putting on his boxer-briefs and a pair of pajama pants before running downstairs. She giggled and got up, putting on a pair of underwear and bra before putting on some yoga pants and one of his t-shirts.

She brushed her teeth and made her way to the kitchen, taking her medicine and getting a glass of orange juice before going to the living room. She sat beside Zac and cuddled up to him as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

She looked up at him and kissed his jaw. "Happy Thanksgiving, baby."

He looked down and smiled at her, making her stomach get butterflies. "Happy Thanksgiving, baby girl." He leaned down and kissed her softly, pulling apart when oxygen was a necessity.

Starla and Gina made their way to the kitchen to begin cooking while David, Greg, Dylan, and Stella made their way to the living room and watched the parade on TV with Zac and Vanessa.

That afternoon, the Efron and Hudgens families were gathered around the table, ready to eat Thanksgiving dinner.

Vanessa giggled loudly at a joke Dylan had made as Stella was talking excitedly to Zac. David sat the large turkey in the middle of the table and sat down, making the table complete. They all looked around at each other, waiting for someone to start the families' tradition of stating what they are thankful for in the past year.

Dylan spoke up first. "I'll start. I'm thankful that I got to take a few weeks off of senior year from college to spend time with family. And I'm glad I made it to senior year. I'm also thankful for the time I got to spend with Zac over this past year, going to film festivals and stuff. It was awesome." They went clockwise around the table, making Stella next to go.

"I'm thankful that I am halfway through senior year of high school. I'm also thankful for all the friends I have made this year and I'm also thankful for the time I got to spend with Nessa. I love spending shopping days or spa days together."

Vanessa smiled and winked at her. Greg was next to go. "I'm thankful for making it another year and I'm thankful that our families are healthy and happy."

Gina smiled at him. "I'm thankful that we are all here together again and that we are all happy."

Vanessa bit her lip as Zac squeezed her knee. "I'm thankful for the movies and opportunities I got this past year. I'm thankful that I was able to make some great new friends and work with some awesome people. And I'm thankful that I am lucky enough to get a second chance with you." She said as she looked at Zac. He smiled and cleared his throat.

"Ummm…I'm lucky for the amazing things I got to do this past year. I met some amazing people and did movies I never thought I would get the chance to do. I'm incredibly thankful that even though I have lost someone special this past month, I have gained someone special back into my life." He looked at Vanessa. "I'm thankful my family safe and that we are all here together. And….I'm thankful for you."

Vanessa felt tears in her eyes as she kissed his cheek. She blinked the tears away as Starla began to speak. "I'm thankful to have our two families together again. I'm thankful that we are all happy and healthy. And I'm thankful to have each and every one of you."

David nodded and spoke, "I couldn't have said it better. I'm glad to be able to spend time with our family and I truly treasure moments like these that we have together."

They all said cheers and began to eat the huge meal Starla and Gina cooked.

Vanessa let out a deep breath as she sat back in her chair. "I'm so stuffed!" She giggled as she watched Zac and Dylan continue to clear their plates of seconds.

Vanessa's phone rang loudly, disturbing her thoughts. She quickly got up and answered it, upon seeing that it was her manager, Matt.

"_Hello?"_

"_Vanessa, I am so sorry to bother you, but I have some bad news. Something has come up and we need you to fly to New York City in the morning for an appearance."_

"_You have got to be joking. Matt, I just got out of the hospital. Today is thanksgiving!"_

"_I know and again, I apologize. But they need you there and it's important. You will be home the next morning."_

"_What time is the flight?"_

"_9 am out of LAX."_

"_Okay, see you there." _Vanessa sighed as she put down her phone.

"What's up, babe?" Zac asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"That was Matt. I have to fly to NYC tomorrow morning for an appearance. My flight leaves at 9 am."

"What? But you are still healing!"

"I know, but you know how it is. I have to go. I will be back the next morning though."

Zac turned her around so she was facing him and rested his forehead against hers, looking at her. "Promise me that if you start to feel any pain or anything, you stop what you're doing and take it easy."

"I promise, baby."

"Are you heading back tonight or in the morning?"

"Well the flight leaves at 9, so I have to be at LAX at 8, the three hour drive would put me at 5, but I need to go home first so I would have to leave here around 4….As much as I hate getting up early, it's worth it if I get to sleep in your arms tonight. I don't want to go home and sleep alone."

Zac smiled and kissed her softly. "Leave here at 4 am it is, then,"

Vanessa's eyes fluttered open the next morning and she looked to her phone to see that it was 3:52 am. She sighed and turned off the alarm on her phone and rolled over so that she was facing Zac, his arms still wrapped around her.

She studied his face, trying to put everything away in memory even though it already was. She softly traced the stubble that covered his well-defined jaw line and chin, as well as the little bit of stubble over his top lip. His looks had changed immensely over the past couple of years. He was definitely more muscular, his hair was short, but not too short, and his features were so well defined. Frankly, she didn't care how he looked; she would always love him and think he was amazingly hot. She was thankful that Zac hadn't changed on the inside though. He was still extremely hard working, passionate in everything he does, loving, caring, hilarious, and just a hands down great guy.

She hated to wake him up when he had such a peaceful look on his face, but she knew he would be upset if she left without them being able to say goodbye.

She ran her fingers through his hair and whispered, "Baby boo, I've got to go."

"hmph. Noo." He grumbled as his arms tightened around her.

She leaned down and placed soft kisses on his neck and jaw, making a trail to his lips, but stopping as she placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth.

"You missed a spot," he smiled with his eyes still closed, his voice husky from sleep.

She giggled softly and teased him by kissing behind his ear, sending shivers down his spine.

"Please, baby. Don't do this to me," he whined cutely.

She smiled and kissed his lips softly at first, but more passionately when he began to kiss back. He gently pulled her naked body on top of his, under the covers and held her close with his right arm while he used his left hand to push the curls back from her face, holding her head in place simultaneously.

She had one hand on the back of his head, holding him close as their tongues danced together softly, while the other hand was making it's way through his tousled hair, over his cheek, and around his ear.

A few minutes later, Vanessa pulled back for air and rested her forehead against his. Zac's eyes fluttered open and he brought his other hand up, so he had one hand on each of her cheeks, looking deep into her eyes. "I love you, Vanessa Anne Hudgens."

She blinked as her eyes welled up with tears. "I love you too, baby," she whispered as a tear fell down her cheek.

"Shhh, don't cry," he whispered, not breaking the tranquility of the darkened room, "you'll make me cry too. We went three years without speaking; two days will go by before we know it. I will be in LA when you get back, waiting on you. No more tears from these beautiful brown eyes, okay?"

She nodded and smiled, kissing him again. He pulled back before it got too steamy. "We can't start something we can't finish, you'll be late baby." She nodded and kissed his quickly before getting up and beginning to get dressed. Thankfully, she had already sat out an outfit before Zac packed her stuff in her car last night. He got up and threw on some boxer-briefs before helping her get dressed.

He clasped her bra together from behind and kissed the top of her shoulder. He bent down, holding out her black lacy underwear as she stepped into them, holding onto his shoulder for support.

"This is backwards. I feel like I'm in reverse, I'm normally taking them off," he said cheekily.

She giggled and kissed his chin as he stood back up. She pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a tank top. She looked up at him with puppy dog eyes and he shook his head with a smile on his face. He walked over to his closet and pulled out a plaid button up shirt, which she happily through on. She slid on some flip-flops and looked up at him sadly when she was ready. He smiled softly and took her hand as they both went down the stairs.

Starla was standing at the bottom of the stairs, waiting on them. Vanessa smiled and hugged her tightly. "Thanks for everything, mom. I'll see you soon."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. Be careful and I'll see you soon."

Zac walked Vanessa outside, not caring if he was in boxer-briefs because it was four am and frankly he didn't give a shit if someone saw him.

Vanessa leaned in and turned on the car, letting it warm up before she turned and faced him.

"You better smile. I can't let you leave with a frown on your face," he said softly as he tickled her lightly. She smiled big as he pulled her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist and sighed.

"I'm going to miss you like crazy."

"Me too, babygirl, but I'll see you in little over 24 hours, right?"

She nodded and smiled before leaning up and kissing him.

He didn't hesitate to kiss back. He pulled back after a minute and smiled. "I love you," she said as she looked into his bright blue eyes.

"I love you too. Call me when you get to LA, I don't care if it wakes me up. I'll worry if you don't," he said as she buckled her seatbelt.

She smiled and nodded. "I will baby."

"Be careful," he said as he leaned through the window giving her one last kiss. She nodded and pulled out of the driveway. He winked at her as she drove off. He sighed and walked back into the house.

Vanessa was exhausted as her van pulled up to her hotel that night. She had done interviews and appearances all day long, meaning she didn't get to talk to Zac since she arrived that morning. She looked out of the window as the van stopped and wondered why so many paparazzi were outside the front door. She got out and immediately realized it was because of her.

"_Vanessa! Is Zac okay? Why is he in the hospital? Is it serious?!"_

Vanessa's heart dropped. "I'm sorry, what?!" Her publicist rushed her inside, but Vanessa stopped. "Britt, what are they talking about?!" She immediately reached for her phone.

Britt looked at her with a solemn face. "Your flight leaves in thirty minutes. Your bag is in the car outside. We need to go."

"Britt! Tell me what happened first!"

"He and his little brother were surfing and it was a freak accident. The wave crashed, pulling them under but when it did, their boards tangled and the current pulled them under. They think they hit their heads on the ocean floor, but they were found against some rocks at-"

"Pismo Beach." Vanessa finished as she felt all the blood drain from her face. She ran out of the hotel and into the car, not caring that paparazzi were getting pictures.

She got into the car and immediately called Starla, praying she would pick up.

"_Vanessa, sweetie, is that you?!"_

"_Mom, what's going on?"_

Vanessa could hear Starla start crying before the phone was shuffled around.

"_Vanessa?"_

"_David, it's me. What happened?"_

"_You need to get here as soon as possible."_

"_I'm on my way to the airport. David, please."_

"_Dylan is awake. He had some cuts and bruises and was unconscious for a little while, but they don't think he hit the rocks. He got some stitches and has to stay overnight, but he will be fine."_

Vanessa stayed silent, knowing her world was about to crash down around her.

"_They are doing everything they can, Vanessa. Dylan was somehow released from the current before he was, so Dylan was able to reach the surface. They flew them both to Cedars-Sinai and we just got here about 20 minutes ago."_

"_Is he-….David, is he?"_

"_They couldn't find a pulse when he arrived."_

Vanessa burst out into tears and dropped the phone as she felt herself becoming sick.

Her publicist picked up the phone. _"Mr. Efron, this is Britt, Vanessa's publicist. We have just arrived at the airport, she will be there as soon as possible." _She hung up the phone as Vanessa rushed out of the car, throwing up into the trashcan. Britt led her to some terminals after she finished.

"We are getting on a private plane, Vanessa. That way we don't have any stops or people."

Vanessa nodded, not really listening. She allowed Britt to pull her in whatever direction she pleased and before she knew it, she realized they were already in the air.

"How much longer, Britt?"

"Thirty minutes. We are almost there. You were zoned out."

Vanessa nodded and looked out the window. Tears were streaming down her face, but she didn't move to stop them. She closed her eyes, seeing memories flash in her mind.

"Vanessa, wake up. We are here."

Vanessa opened her eyes to see Britt standing in the aisle. "We are here. Let's go."

She jumped up and ran off the plane, quickly getting into the car that was waiting for her on the tarmac.

She turned her phone back on to see many missed calls and texts from just about everyone she and Zac were close friends. Seeing that none of them were from Starla or David, she put her phone back into her back pocket.

When the car pulled up to the hospital, tons of media were outside. Vanessa ran past them, immediately going up to the desk in the emergency room waiting area.

"Efron," Vanessa said as she reached the desk.

"And what's your name?" the nurse asked.

"Vanessa Hudgens."

The nurse looked at something on the computer and then returned her eyes to Vanessa. "Go on back. Rooms 105 and 106. They are in the back of the wing. You will have to show the security guards your nametag before they will allow you through." Vanessa nodded and ran through the doors.

The two security guards were blocking the next set of doors, obviously leading to where she needed to be. She showed them her nametag and was immediately let through. She saw the door to 105 was closed, but she could hear Dylan talking in the room next to it, where the door was open.

"Nessa!" he said as Starla and David spun around to see her coming through the door. Starla immediately hugged her, making Vanessa burst into tears. Vanessa pulled back and looked at her with bloodshot eyes.

"They have him stable for now, but it doesn't look too good unless he wakes up soon." Starla told her sadly. Vanessa nodded and hugged David tightly before looking at Dylan, tears still coming down her cheeks.

He opened his arms and smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be your temporary replacement," he half joked. She laughed softly through her tears and hugged him tightly.

She pulled back after a minute and smiled. "I'm glad you're okay, Dyl."

He smiled softly. Suddenly, loud beeps were heard from the next room and doctors and nurses rushed into the room across the hall: Zac's room. Vanessa, followed by Starla and David, walked across the hall to Zac's room. The doctor walked out of Zac's room.

"I'm so sorry. We did everything we could."

"NOOOOO!" Vanessa shot up in her bed, drenched in sweat. She looked over to her nightstand and saw that it was 1:48 am. She placed a hand over her chest and took a deep breath as she realized it was just a dream. She was in her room. Of course, the one night she has a bad dream is the one night Zac was staying at his own house since she had returned from New York three weeks ago.

She reached over and grabbed her phone, not caring to put on more clothes. She slipped on a pair of UGG boots and grabbed her keys before heading out of her house. She backed her car out of the garage and made the 2-minute drive to the house she desperately wanted to be in. She looked up onto the roof of her car where three buttons were located. The left one opened her garage, the middle one opened Zac's gate, and the right one opened Zac's garage. She pressed the middle one and the metal gate opened, allowing her entrance.

She waited for the gate to close, making sure no one followed her in as she drove up his long, private driveway. When she reached the top, the opened the two-car garage to find his Audi parked there as well. She pulled in and closed the garage before getting out. She used her key to open the door that led into the kitchen. She saw all the lights were off and made her way to Zac's bedroom. She smiled when she saw him laying face down, with one leg kicked out from under the covers.

She took off her shoes before gently climbing into bed next to him. When he felt the bed move, his eyes fluttered open. His eyebrows scrunched together as he lifted his left arm allowing her to slide in closer to him. Still lying on his stomach, he used his left arm to pull her close.

"Baby? What's wrong?" he asked softly as he saw her swollen eyes.

She shook her head and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "I just need you to hold me," she whispered. He nodded and flipped them over, so her head was resting in the crook of his neck. He pulled the covers over them both and kissed her shoulder.

"Promise you won't ever leave me."

"I promise, Ness."

"I love you."

She kissed him behind his ear. "I love you baby."

They both drifted off into a deep slumber.

Zac woke up the next morning to see Vanessa hadn't moved from her spot. Her arms were still wrapped tightly around him and he could feel her light, even breathing on his neck. Deciding not to wake her yet, he reached over and grabbed the remote, turning the TV on. He turned it to Swamp People and tried his hardest not to laugh too loud. He absentmindedly ran his hands through her hair. He smiled when he saw the kuuipo ring resting on her finger.

He had given it to her for her birthday last weekend and she reminded him that it was the best present she had received. He had stolen it from her jewelry box and got it resized since it had gotten too big for her. When he gave it to her on her birthday, telling her that one day he would replace it with a diamond ring, she cried and hugged him so tight he thought he would die from lack of oxygen.

The silver band matching her gold one was now sat on his right ring finger, where it was supposed to be.


	8. Chapter 8

Vanessa woke up and realized her face was buried in a pillow smelling like her boyfriend. She looked around, realizing she was in his bed but he wasn't. She looked up when she heard him coming out of the bathroom.

He curled back up to her and kissed her softly.

"Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning," she said softly as she yawned.

"Want to tell me what had you so scared that you drove over here and snuck into my bed and held me all night like someone was going to take me away?"

She looked up at him. His heart broke when he saw the sadness in her eyes. "Baby, what happened?"

She explained to him her dream and how real it felt. He felt his pound at the amount of love he felt for her as she explained her fear of losing him.

He hugged her tightly. "I'm not going anywhere, Hudgens. I promise, babe." She smiled and kissed him. She looked up and saw what time it was. "Shit! I've got to meet Stella for yoga! I'm going to be late!" She grabbed her phone and keys before jumping out of bed and running out of his room. He sat up and just stared at his door in confusion.

He smiled when she ran back in before jumping onto his bed, pushing him down and kissing him passionately. She pulled back smiling, "Love you. Call me later?"

He nodded, chuckling as she ran out of the house. Zac grabbed a quick shower and was getting dressed when his phone rang. "Hello?"

"Zac, what's up man?!"

"Bubba Lewis, what's up bro? Long time, no talk."

"Well that's because I've been in Georgia while you've been making it big time, Mr. A-lister," Bubba joked.

Zac laughed. "Shut up dude. Are you in LA?"

"Yeah man, I heard you were too so I was calling to see if you wanted to grab some lunch in like twenty minutes."

"Yeah! I'll meet you at Paty's in twenty."

"Awesome, bye Zac."

"Later, bro." Zac slid his phone into his back pocket as started looking for his plaid button up shirt. After searching his laundry room, he pulled out his phone, dialing speed dial number one.

"Helllllooooo?" answered a sweet voice.

"Vanessa Anne, where is my red plaid shirt?"

"Um…..I don't know, honey. Maybe in the laundry room?" she said cutely.

Zac chuckled as he pulled out a different shirt from his closet. "Yeah, maybe your laundry room."

She giggled, "Okay, fine. I have it. I'm sorry. I guess you'll have to walk around shirtless."

"As much as every paparazzi would love that, I'm going to meet Bubba for lunch in twenty so I can't exactly be shirtless."

"I've gotta go babe, the yoga instructor is about to start. Tell Bubba I say hi and have a good lunch!"

"Okay, love you." Zac hung up when she replied with an I love you and pulled on a beanie. He grabbed his keys and headed out into the garage. After pulling out of the driveway, he was relieved that no paparazzi were around.

Zac's phone rang through the Bluetooth system in his Audi and he pressed the button on his steering wheel, answering the call. "Jason, what's up, man?"

"Hey dude, just got a call from Ryan Seacrest and he wants to do a phone interview with you real quick. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, I'm driving, but it's cool. Awesome, I'll put you through."

"_I'm Ryan Seacrest and we have Mr. Zac Efron on the line with us. Zac, what's up man?"_

"_Hey Ryan, nothing much, just going to meet a buddy of mine for lunch. You?"_

"_Just chilling here in the studio. Buddy of yours? It wouldn't happen to be the beautiful Vanessa Hudgens, would it?"_

Zac chuckled, not surprised that this was already being asked. _"Nah man, it's a buddy of mine from a movie I did a long time ago called Miracle Run."_

"_I hear ya, dude. Awesome. So we hear you have an album coming out?"_

"_Yeah, but not for a few more months. It's an acoustic album that Vanessa and I have been working on. We can't wait for everyone to listen."_

"_So obviously, everyone and their momma knows that you two have gotten back together over the past couple of months. You seem to be just as strong as before you broke up, but we all know things change, especially people, over three years. Are you just trying to start over at the awkward dating stage or are you just picking up where you left off?"_

"_Well honestly dude, we have always been great friends and I think we let other people and the stress of Hollywood and starting careers come between us. We were so strong at such a young age. We obviously met doing High School Musical, but when that went as big as it did, we really needed someone who knew how it felt and that we could trust and our relationship grew as we became that person for each other. Our careers have come a long way in the three years that we weren't together, but when we hung out for the first time a couple months ago, it was obvious that the connection was still there. We may not have talked over those years, but I knew that if I really needed her, she would be there for me and vice versa."_

"_So you are serious about it and not just trying to see where it goes?"_

"_Nah man, we're serious. She's one of the most important people in my life and that hasn't changed."_

"_That's great to hear, man. I'm happy for you guys. I'm sure all of the fans that grew up with you and died a little inside were overjoyed that Zanessa is back together."_

"_Yeah man, probably. It's great to know that our fans support us no matter what. I truly have the best fans in the world."_

"_So we know that there were stories of you having little flings with Lily Collins and Ashley Tisdale after you guys broke up last time and there was the incident of you dropping condoms on the red carpet and you seemed to be playing the field, while she took a more serious approach and dated Austin Butler for almost 2 years. Does that make it harder for you to move on? Was their any truth about the affair rumors between you two?"_

"_The Lily Collins thing was blown out of proportion. I guess, as bad as it sounds, it was a little fling or something. It just didn't work out. I wasn't looking for a relationship and neither was she. As far as Ash, people have always started a rumor that we were dating which is totally ridiculous. She is seriously like my big sister. I think the rumor got worse after Vanessa and I had broken up—"_

"_I mean, you were seen on the beach with her like kissing her neck and stuff, bro."_

"_Ryan, you can't call me out like that, man! It wasn't that kind of kissing, it was like just joking around. We are both very flirtatious people, not in cheating or serious kind of way though. We were just goofing off. It was her birthday, but we have never had feelings for each other. The condom thing…yeah, man, I don't even want to go there. Needless to say, I always triple check my pockets now. My publicist wasn't too thrilled me, neither were my parents. I wasn't like playing the field or anything. Ya know, I was just being a normal 24 or 25 year old guy. As far as Austin, I can't really speak about that or the decisions she made."_

"_Come on man, it had to have made you mad though. You went to the Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure Premiere and that was the only time you both were at an event together in the three years you were separated and we didn't see any pictures of you two together, then next thing we know she is dating Ashley's co-star from a spin-off of High School Musical. It had to have made you mad, bro."_

"_I mean….at the time…yeah, sure I was pretty ticked about it, but as long as she was happy, so was I. I busied myself with work, doing movie after movie after movie, but she busied herself with friends and through that Ash introduced them and that's really all I know."_

"_Are you guys cool with each other? We know he was there when you guys had the HSM reunion a few months ago."_

"_Honestly Ryan, we had never really talked before and that didn't change, nor do I see it ever changing."_

"_Dang man, we've never known you to not talk to someone. Every person we have ever talked to that knows you says you are one of the nicest, coolest guys."_

"_What can I say, bro? I guess there is a first time for everything."_

"_Well dude, you know I've always been a huge fan of yours and supporter of you two as actors, people, and as a couple. So tell us, is he as big of an ass as he seems?"_

"_I don't know, man. Like I said, I've never really talked to him and I've never worked with him."_

"_So all is well in the Zanessa relationship? Because rumors were flying about babies and heart attacks and crazy stuff when Vanessa was in the hospital last month."_

"_I don't know where people get these stories from, dude. It's insane. I heard one recently that said I had my leg bitten off by a shark. I mean when I look down I see two legs still there, so I don't know. But yeah, we're both healthy and fine, bro."_

"_Great to hear. Well I'll let you go, but thanks for chatting with me dude and I hope to see both of you soon."_

"_Thanks Ryan, no problem."_

Zac took a deep breath and dialed his manager's phone number. "What the hell, Jason?!"

"I'm sorry, Zac! I didn't know he was going to interrogate you like that, but it's to be expected. You guys are one of the biggest couples in Hollywood. I'm sure a lot of interviews will be like that from now on."

"Alright, well I'm going to go. Bye Jason." He said as he hung up, frustrated. He turned his radio up as thoughts started going through his head. He hoped Vanessa wouldn't be upset with anything he said, but Ryan had kept pushing and pushing the issue. He turned the radio off and called the only person who knew exactly how he felt about the past.

The phone rang a couple times before someone answered.

"Hey bro, what's up?"

"Hey Dyl, what are you doing?"

"Nothing much, just left my final exam for the semester. About to head home. What's up with you?"

"I'm driving to meet Bubba for lunch, but I just got off this phone interview with Ryan Seacrest."

"I know, bro, I heard. You okay?"

"Yeah, just a little ticked off. I didn't expect him to bring up the past and Austin and all that shit."

"I know, bro. What did Jason say about it?"

"He just apologized, there's nothing more he can do. It just sucks. I forgot what it was like to be constantly hounded about a relationship."

"Then break up with her. She's not worth it."

"WHAT?! Dylan what the fuck?! How could you even say that? You know how much she means to me and that I would do ANYTHING for her!"

"Exactly. Point proven. Don't bitch about the paps and press. As long as you two are happy, it doesn't matter."

Zac smiled as he realized the trick his brother just played on him. "You're the best, Dyl. Hey, do you wanna come down for the night? Go to the Lakers game or something?"

"Hell yeah! Can we grab a beer or something after though? I've had a hell week."

Zac chuckled, "Sure bro. You gonna head down now?"

"Yeah. See ya soon. Tell Bubba hey for me."

"Will do. Drive safe."

"Okay Dad," Dylan joked as he hung up. Zac smiled as he pulled into the restaurant. He was happy that him and Dylan were as close as they were. He knew that no matter what happened, he could always count on Dylan.

He turned off his Audi to see paparazzi running towards him. He looked around his car, looking for sunglasses and reached in, grabbing Vanessa's aviators. They often shared sunglasses, which he was thankful for.

He slid them on and got out of his car as cameras surrounded him.

He spotted Bubba's white Audi parked outside and quickly walked into the restaurant, leaving the paps outside shouting for him. He looked around for his friend and smiled when he saw him waving from across the restaurant. Bubba stood up and gave him a hug before they both sat down in the booth.

"Hey man, how have you been?" Zac asked as the waitress sat his mug of black coffee in front of him.

"Good! Just chilling in Georgia with the family and stuff. I just landed here last night for a new project. I heard shit has been crazy with you these past couple of years."

"Yeah man, I don't know where to start." Bubba was one of the first people Zac met when he moved to Los Angeles. They instantly became best friends and they were roommates when they both moved to LA, Zac from San Luis Obispo, and Bubba from Georgia, when they seventeen. Bubba was one of the few people who knew Zac from the beginning and they always had a very close friendship. They hadn't seen each other in a few years, but they still kept in contact as much as they could.

"Start from the beginning. I have plenty of time. Last time I saw you was my 21st birthday party you and V threw. And then at the Charlie St. Cloud premiere, but we didn't get to catch up then."

Zac took a deep breath and took a sip of his coffee. He began speaking after placing his order. "So let's see. Dylan graduated that May and for his graduation present, I took him with me to Hawaii when I had to go for a film festival and we spent the whole week there, ya know, just brother bonding time. After that, I did a huge press tour for Charlie St. Cloud. At that point, I had a lot of offers coming in for upcoming movies roles and so did Van."

Bubba nodded, following along with the story.

"So then I had the premiere and after that, Ness had the RENT performances. When all of that was done, I headed down to New Orleans to start on The Lucky One and she went to Hawaii to start filming Journey 2. This is when things started to get a little rocky. I was having to gain 30 pounds of muscle. I had the strictest routine and diet and I ended up not being able to fly out for Stella's birthday. She flew down to spend my birthday with me, which was the first time we had seen each other in almost two months. Then she wasn't able to leave Hawaii for Thanksgiving and I didn't want her to spend it alone, so I flew out there and spent the week with her. Towards the end of the vacation, we sat down to figure out our schedules for the rest of the year and the next year and we had so much going on, we started stressing out about whether we would see each other or not."

Bubba nodded and thanked the waitress as she dropped off her food. "But you guys were still together at that point, right?"

Zac nodded before continuing. "So then we came home and everything was fine for a week or two until we both realized that we wouldn't see each other for Christmas or New Years. We wouldn't have seen each other until about February. So one day I told her that I didn't want to break up, but asked what we should do. We came to a mutual decision to take a step back. We both loved each other tremendously, but neither of us wanted marriage or anything in the near future, so we didn't think it would be a problem. I figured that at the end of the year or something when both of us had finished working for a while that we would go back to "officially" dating. So that happened like a few days before her birthday. I returned to New Orleans the next day because of my strict filming schedule. So at that point, we would still talk as often as we could. I felt home again for Christmas and New Years and went over to her place a couple days after New Years and we exchanged the presents we had already bought. Well…we ended up hooking up, but I once again I had to leave the next morning and fly back. She started filming shortly after, so we really lost touch. It got too hard for us to talk and not say "I love you" and stuff like that. We probably lost most contact around March of 2011. Then in April, Ashley calls me begging me to come to the Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure premiere. I happened to have that weekend off, so I flew home and went to the premiere. Well I walked in and Vanessa was standing there with Ashley and I instantly thought I was going to puke. Things were extremely awkward and it just wasn't what I expected. I had found out the previous week that Vanessa had been dating Josh Hutcherson for the previous month and I guess it pissed me off."

Bubba nodded once again, encouraging him to go on.

"So I pretty much just hung out with Lucas and Oleysa during the premiere, but someone rounded us up to take a picture with Ashley and Vanessa. So I walked over and the girls were sitting on the couch. Lucas was sitting on the back of the couch, leaving me the option to sit on the arm beside Oleysa or Van. Everyone assumed I would sit by Vanessa, but I had seen her flirting with Austin earlier that night so I ignored her and sat beside Oleysa. After that, I left. I'm guessing around that time, Ashley hooked Van and Austin up, but I didn't know it until a few months later. So I finished filming around the end of June and Ashley invited me to come to her birthday party in Malibu. I made sure Vanessa wasn't going to be there and I went. We totally had a blast, but people started assuming we were dating, which as you know, is totally crazy. Anyways, a month later I left to go back to Florida and New Orleans to film The Paperboy. I found out that Vanessa started dating Austin in September and I guess held a little bit of a grudge against Ashley because of it. I pulled myself away from the situation and busied myself with work. Because of it, Vanessa became really close with a lot of our friends and I guess they kind of chose sides. I saw Ashley again at a movie premiere, but other than that I didn't see Brittany Snow or Sammy Droke or anyone. I was hurt because she obviously didn't want to get back with me like I thought we had intended and because she had moved on. I signed on for some movies so that I wouldn't have to go back to LA and be friendless, pretty much."

"Hold on, you weren't friendless. Sure they stood by her, but one it's because they are girls. It's how they are. If you would have been here, I'm sure it wouldn't have seemed that way. Plus, Ryan and Brittany broke up. You stayed friends with Ryan, so it only makes sense that V stay friends with her."

Zac nodded in agreement before Bubba motioned for him to continue. "I came home for Christmas and Dylan informed me that mom still kept in contact with Vanessa every now and then. Which totally made me angry, but glad in a certain way. I decided to call Ashley and see if they had plans for New Years. Ashley told me that she was going on vacation with her family, but that Vanessa and Austin were going to Miami for New Years. I guess that's when something clicked in my brain and I realized I had lost her for good. I did promo stuff for The Lorax, dropped condoms on the red carpet, did a huge worldwide press tour for The Lucky One. Ashley surprisingly showed up to the premiere of that, which I was thankful for. Then I went to Iowa and filmed At Any Price, after that I went to Texas and filmed Parkland, did some press for At Any Price, and then did filming for Are We Officially Dating? in NYC and Townies in LA. Then, I come back home after a vacation home and Ashley calls me wanting to get everyone together for a HSM movie reunion. I agree, thinking it would be at her house, but she calls me that morning telling me it would be at Vanessa's. Dylan had spent the week with me and I was supposed to drive him home that day, but when I found out it would be at V's, he agreed to go with me. We got there and it was awesome to see everyone again. Austin, of course, knowing who I was, didn't like me. And I didn't like him either. He was in the house Vanessa bought, thinking it would one day be ours, he had been driving the car I bought her, and it was a mutual dislike. But you know me, I try to be nice to everyone so I went to introduce myself and he walked off. I saw V for the first time that night in two and a half years and man when she hugged me….I felt numb. All the alcohol I consumed and all the work I did to make myself feel like I was over her..that one hug made it all go away. I realized that I loved her still, but that there was nothing I could do about it. Well you know how my brother lacks that filter between his mouth and brain and he started calling her sister-in-law and Shadow barked at Austin but cuddled up to me, and I guess the little stuff that happened that afternoon made me realize how much I still loved her. Anyways Dylan left after the first movie, not telling me why and Vanessa broke up with Austin right around there because apparently she still loved me. So during the second movie, Vanessa came and sat next to me for some reason and she started crying during "Gotta Go My Own Way." I don't really remember how we ended up sitting cuddled up together, but after the third movie she told me that Dylan had texted her saying my grandpa had a heart attack and we need to go to SLO. I don't really remember much except her driving us there and me kissing her somewhere along the way. When we got there, they took him off life support. We went to my house and uh…"reconnected" and we've been going out again ever since."

"Well I'm so glad you guys are back together. I love you both, but you know I have your back no matter what, dude. Wait, wasn't she in the hospital or something? I heard about it, but not the whole thing."

Zac bit the inside of his cheek and looked down, swallowing his food before he nodded. "She was pregnant."

"Was?"

"It was an ectopic pregnancy. She wouldn't have survived. She fainted coming down the stairs while we were at my parents for Thanksgiving and when we went to the hospital, we found out."

"Was it yours or Austin's?"

"Mine. Her and Austin hadn't had sex for a couple months up to that point because he was in NYC or something."

"That sucks, Zac. I'm sorry, dude."

"It's okay, man. We are dealing with it. We both weren't ready and still aren't and her health is most important, but it still sucks ya know?"

Bubba nodded. "I know, man. But she is fine now, right?"

Zac nodded, smiling. "She's good. Yo dude, Dyl is coming down like right now from Cal Poly to come grab some beers and go to a Lakers game tonight, wanna come?"

"Hell yeah, dude!"

Zac laughed, smiling, as he paid for their lunch. After finishing lunch, the old friends made their way outside before driving to Zac's house.


	9. Chapter 9

Vanessa walked out of her yoga class feeling great. Stella followed along beside her as they navigated their way down the sidewalk.

The two sisters made their way to the nearby spa to get their nails and hair done. Vanessa sat in the chair and told the lady she wanted her natural color back. Stella sat beside her, messing around on her phone.

When Vanessa was done with her hair, both girls began to get their nails done. After getting her manicure done, the lady was almost done with her pedicure.

"Everyday" started to play, making Vanessa and Stella laugh. Vanessa giggled and grabbed her phone, writing a text message.

"_Everyday…of our lives….."_ She smiled as she waited on a response. She quickly opened it up when her phone buzzed a minute later.

"_Wanna find you there, wanna hold on tight." _ Was the response she got from Zac, making her smile like crazy.

"_It's playing in the nail salon. It made my day."_

"_You didn't think I'd remember the lyrics, did ya Hudgens?"_

"_Mayyyybeeee. : ) What r u doing? I miss u like crazy baby."_

"_I miss you, too. I just got back to the house with Bubba. We are skateboarding on the patio. Are you and StellBell having fun?"_

"_I wanna see him! And yes, we are."_

"_Then come see him, silly goose."_

"_I don't want to interrupt boy time : ( "_

"_You won't babe. Bubba wants to see you too. Plus a visitor is on his way over now."_

"_Visitor? Who?"_

"_Not telling :P"_

"_You sure I won't be interrupting? Stella is with me too."_

"_I'm positive, baby. Come over."_

"_See you in twenty."_

"_That's my girl. Love u."_

"_Love you xxx"_

She put her phone in her purse as the lady dried her freshly painted toenails. "Hey Stellz, can we stop by Zac's for a little bit?"

"No, that's fine, I don't mind at all!"

Vanessa smiled widely. They finished drying their nails and made their way out to Vanessa's Audi.

"So Nessa, what are you doing for Christmas? It's like in three days."

"I don't know. I haven't thought about it. I guess I will just do what we used to? Christmas Eve and Christmas morning here with you and then leave around lunch time to go to SLO."

"Awesome! I can't wait for Christmas!"

Stella reached up, turning on the radio. When she heard Ryan Seacrest say Zac's name, she turned it up as Vanessa started listening too.

"_Does Zac Efron have a bone to pick with Austin Butler? Are he and Vanessa Hudgens just a fling? Find out coming up when we replay our interview with him from this morning!"_

Vanessa looked at Stella with confusion written on her features as a song began to play. They listened carefully to the interview when it began playing.

"I bet you he was pissed. Ryan sure knows how to interrogate people," Stella commented.

"He did good, though. He is really good at changing the subject without the interviewer really noticing."

She pulled into his driveway after the gate closed and saw Bubba's Audi parked in the driveway. She pulled her car up behind the door that she usually parks inside of. They got out and walked to the front door as Vanessa used her key to unlock it.

They walked inside and immediately were met with the sounds of a baseball game on TV.

"The Giants are SO much better, dude!" Zac said.

"No way! Go Braves!" Bubba replied.

Vanessa and Stella walked into the living room. She placed her purse on an empty chair and put her hand on her hip, smiling big. "Bubba Lewis!"

He smiled widely as he stood up and hugged her tightly, picking her up off the floor slightly. "Vanessa Hudgens!" he joked back, making her laugh. "It's good to see you!" he said as he placed her back on the ground.

"You too. You remember Stella?" she asked as she stepped back. He nodded, hugging Stella.

"Hey Bubba. Hey ZacAttack!"

"Hey StellBella," he smiled from his chair. Vanessa walked over leaned down, kissing him sweetly on the lips. As she went to move away, he pulled her gently onto his lap sideways. She smiled and wrapped her arm around his shoulders, playing with his hair as she and Bubba began catching up.

"Can I get something to drink?" Stella asked Zac.

"Of course, Stellz. You don't even have to ask."

As she got up to go to the kitchen, Bubba went to the bathroom. Zac smiled and gently turned V's face towards him, kissing her passionately. She kissed him back, pulling back after a few moments.

"I missed you," he said as he rubbed her thigh softly.

"I missed you, too. I'm going to miss sleeping with you tonight. I hope I don't have another nightmare," she said as she ran her hands through his hair.

"If you do, call me and I'll come right over. I promise."

She nodded, smiling as the doorbell went off.

She looked at Zac excited since he still wouldn't tell her who the visitor was. "You can answer the door. Go ahead," he smiled.

She jumped up, running to the door. "DYL!" she screamed when she saw her boyfriend's younger brother standing with his hands in his pockets, looking like a mini-me of his older brother.

She hugged him tightly and he used one arm, carrying her into the house as she continued to hug him. He placed her down as they entered the living room. She immediately giggled and sat back down on Zac's lap. Dylan gave Zac one of those friendly handshakes before hugging Bubba and Stella and sitting down on the couch.

They all finished watching the game and talking before Vanessa spoke up. "We're going to go. Let you guys have your boy-time. Have fun at the game. It was great seeing you again!" she said as she hugged Bubba tightly. She then moved to Dylan. "Bye bro-in-law. If I don't see you before you head back, I'll see you on Christmas."

"Cool. Bye Nessa. Love ya." Stella hugged Dylan and Bubba, telling them bye before she hugged Zac.

She then walked outside as Zac walked Vanessa to the door. She turned around as they reached the door and wrapped her arms around his waist, looking up at him. He wrapped his arms around her and tucked a curl behind her ear.

"I love your hair," he said as he ran his hand through the long, black curls.

She smiled up at him. "I'm glad. I do too. Have fun tonight," she said sweetly.

"You too. You and Ash and Stellz are going to have a blast. Doing all your girly things and gossiping about boys."

She giggled at the funny look he had on his face. She leaned up on her tip-toes kissing him. "When are you going home?"

"Um…..I was actually thinking about riding up with Dylan tomorrow so that way I can just ride back home with you after Christmas."

She pouted, but nodded. "That does make sense. I'm going to miss you so so so much." She said as she squeezed him tightly, burying her face in his chest.

He leaned his head down, resting his nose in her hair as he hugged her back. "I'm going to miss you too baby. But just think, next time you see me, it will be Christmas. You're favorite holiday ever."

She pulled back with a big smile on her face. "I can't wait!" She leaned up and kissed him passionately. He leaned down, not breaking the kiss, and lifted her up so she was eye-level with him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

After a few minutes he pulled back for air and placed her back on her feet, squeezing her butt. She giggled and smiled at him. "I love you. Please be careful, especially with Dyl driving."

He chuckled and kissed her once more. "I will. I love you too. Call me later, okay?"

She nodded and smiled before leaving. He closed the door and walked back into the living room.

That night, the girls were all sitting around in Vanessa's living room, watching the Lakers game on TV while eating a margarita pizza they had made.

"I can't believe how much Dylan looks like Zac now! It's so crazy!" Ashley said the camera showed the Efron brothers and Bubba courtside on the TV.

"I know, it's weird! They never really looked alike until Dylan cut his hair." Vanessa replied.

"Oh look! They are going to be interviewed!" Stella pointed out as someone went up to Zac during half-time.

"_Hey Zac, it's been a long time since we've seen you at a Laker's game! Who did you bring with you?"_

"_Hey, yeah I know, I've been busy, but I couldn't wait to get back out here and support my Lakers. I brought my little brother, Dylan and my best friend, Bubba."_

"_A little guys night, I see. Where's your leading lady at tonight?"_

_Zac chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "She's at home with Ashley and her little sister. They are having a girl's night."_

"_I gotcha. Sounds fun. Are you excited for Christmas?"_

"_So excited! Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. I can't wait to spend it with my family."_

"_What are your predictions for tonight? Are the Lakers going to rally back and win it?"_

"_Of course! Kobe is on fire tonight!"_

"_Thanks so much, Zac."_

Zac shook the guy's hand before sitting back down in his seat.

"Nessa, you can't have sex with the TV!" Ashley said as she threw some popcorn at Vanessa's face.

Vanessa giggled loudly, "I wish!" She finally tore her eyes away from the TV. "This is going to be so hard! Three days without seeing him! I'm going to die!" she said dramatically as she covered her face with a pillow.

"Puh-lease! We all know that you will call him to come over tonight!" Stella said, rolling her eyes.

"Not uh! They are going out for drinks afterwards! Plus he and Dylan are leaving to go home in the morning," she said with a pout on her face.

"Go see him then! Duh! Dress up all hot and go to the bar they are going to!" Ashley said.

"No, I already interrupted guy time. He hasn't seen Bubba in forever. Plus, this is supposed to be girls night!" Vanessa replied as she ate a piece of pizza.

"But I want sushi, Nessssaaaa! And they will probably go to that sports bar right next to it since it's next to Staples Center!" Ashley whined.

"Okay, okay, we can go!" she said as she jumped up, running upstairs to her room excitedly to get ready.

An hour later and the girls were making their way out to Ashley's Mercedes SUV. Ashley was wearing jeans with a t-shirt and heels. Stella was wearing leggings with a long tank top and combat boots, and Vanessa was wearing a pair of skinny jeans with holes, heels, and a flowy tank top.

Vanessa climbed into the passenger seat as Stella got into the back seat. Ashley pulled out of Vanessa's drive way and began driving towards downtown LA.

Ashley cheered as she found an open parallel parking spot next to the stadium. She parked and the girls got out, paparazzi immediately swarming them.

"_Hi Ladies, how are you tonight? Are you guys meeting up with Zac? Ashley, where's Chris? How are you and Zac, Vanessa?"_

Ashley looped her arms through Vanessa's and Stella's as they made their way through the crowd and into the restaurant. Vanessa felt her phone buzz as they finished eating their sushi.

"_Are you at Katsuya? We just left the game to come to the sports bar and I saw Ash's car out front."_

"_Yeah, she and Stella wanted some sushi. How was the game?"_

"_Awesome! Lakers won in overtime! You gonna come see me?"_

"_If you want me to, you know I will."_

"_See ya soon. ; ) "_

She giggled and put her phone up, looking at Ashley and Stella. "He wants you to come see him?" Ashley asked, knowingly with a smile on his face.

"Yeah. Corbin is over there with them now too. Can we go grab a drink or something after this?"

"Duhhh! Stella can get in though right?" Ashley replied.

Stella nodded, "Yeah I have my ID. I get in now that I'm 18," she said with an excited look on her face. They all laughed as they paid the bill and walked out, walking next door to the sports bar. They showed the bouncers their licenses and were allowed in after Stella received an x on her hand saying she was underage.

They walked in to see the guys they were looking for sitting at a high top table on the other side of the pub. Zac and Corbin were sitting beside each other, across from Bubba and Dylan.

As the girls got closer, they saw a blonde girl walk up to the boys. She walked up to Zac and it looked like she asked to take a picture with him. He looked around to the guys and shrugged, agreeing to take a picture, thinking she was just a fan. As soon as he said yes, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him close as a friend took a picture.

Zac pulled away with a shocked look on his face as the girl ran her hands down his chest. "What do you say we leave here?" she asked in his ear.

Dylan looked up to see Ashley, Vanessa, and Stella making their way over to the table slowly watching what was going on.

Without knowing Vanessa was now standing at the end of the table next to Corbin and Dylan, he took the girls wrists in his hands and pulled them off of him. "No thanks, I'm good." He went to turn around, but she grabbed his face and tried to kiss him. Not knowing what to do, he stumbled backwards a bit and tried to pull away, before pushing her back gently. "I said No! I have a girlfriend!" He rolled his eyes as the girl scoffed and walked away. He turned around to see his girlfriend standing there with an amused look on her face. "Hey babe!" he said excitedly, relieved she wasn't angry.

She giggled and hugged Corbin before making her way to sit on the bar stool between them. Zac kissed her softly before resting his hand on her thigh, squeezing softly. She smiled at him and stole a sip of his beer as Ashley ordered her and Vanessa a mixed drink. The seven of them all hung out, talking and having a good time together. They looked up and saw Austin and a few other people walk through the door.

Dylan groaned loudly, having a few beers in his system, "Not _that_ guy! I hate that asshole!"

Vanessa laughed loudly, covering her mouth to keep from spitting out her drink.

As he passed their table, he realized who it was. He gave Ashley a hug, saying hey to her, but not acknowledging anyone else.

"Good to see you too, Asshole," Dylan mumbled louder than he anticipated. Austin looked at him. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

Dylan stood up. "Don't be an asshole to Vanessa. She didn't do shit to you, bro!" Zac quickly jumped up, grabbing Dylan's shoulder, making him sit back down. "Stop, Dyl." Dylan nodded and turned his back to Austin as he walked away.

Vanessa smiled at Dyl, silently thanking him for saying what she was thinking. Zac kissed Vanessa's temple. "You ready to go home?"

She nodded, giggling softly due to her tipsiness. He smiled at her and tickled her softly, "Somebody's got the drunk giggles," he said teasing her. She scrunched up her nose, laughing as she hugged him tightly, nearing falling off the stool. He laughed at her, standing up and supporting her weight before she fell. Corbin called for the waitress.

"How will the bill be split?" he asked.

Zac looked up from Vanessa, "I will," he said, grabbing the check. He placed $300 dollars with the bill and handed it to the waitor. "Keep the change."

"Thanks bro!" he said as he walked away. They all began to get up. Stella grabbed Vanessa's purse, laughing at her sister's drunken state. Dylan who was also quite drunk laughed loudly at a funny voice Corbin did. Bubba wrapped his arm around Dylan's shoulder, stabilizing them. "I'm fuuuuucckeddd up," Bubba said, making Dylan laugh loudly. Ashley, having not drunk anything in the past hour or so, was almost completely sober, along with Stella. Zac was tipsy, well past the legal limit to drive, but was not drunk out of his mind. He always handled his alcohol well and was typically responsible in these situations.

"Alright, let's go," Corbin, said, finishing his beer. Vanessa was standing with her arms wrapped around Zac from the side, rubbing his back softly. When they began to walk, she quickly stumbled in her heels. She looked up at him with puppy dog eyes. "Can I have a piggy?"

He rolled his eyes, smiling and bending down. She giggled and jumped onto his back as they all exited the bar.

"Stay with me tonight, baby," she said sensually into his ear, kissing right below it, driving him crazy.

"What about-?"

"Bubba and Dylan can stay too. I don't care," she said as she rubbed his chest as they walked along the sidewalk.

Zac spun around, "Aye Dyl, Bub, we are staying at V's tonight. Cool? K, awesome," he smiled, not giving them a chance to talk although they didn't care.

Zac stopped when they got to Ashley's car. "I can drive. I'm fine," Ashley said.

"What about my car?" Zac asked. "StellBell, are you a better driver than your sister?"

Vanessa hit Zac's chest jokingly as Stella nodded. Zac tossed her his keys. "No scratches or dents, understand?"

"Yesssss," she said, rolling her eyes. "Come on Dylan and Bubba. You're with me."

Corbin said goodbye as he grabbed a taxi, saying he would get his car tomorrow. Stella walked off with Dylan and Bubba just as paparazzi swarmed Ashley, Zac, and Vanessa. Ashley quickly got into the passenger's seat.

"Dude, I can't see with all the flashes!" he said trying to make his way to the passenger side. The paparazzi kept taking pictures, making Vanessa giggle loudly as Zac tried his hardest to open the door. He placed her on her feet before lifting her into the car and buckling her up. He then closed the door and got into the back seat.

"Fuck you!" he said to the closed door as Ashley sped off.

"You guys are ridiculous!" Ashley said, laughing at them. "Zac, where did you park so Stella can follow me?"

He sat up, leaning forward between the two front seats. "Take a left, now a right. I'm right up there on the right." He explained as she followed each direction. She pulled into the parking lot, seeing that the three of them were just now getting to Zac's car. They laughed loudly when Dylan picked Stella up, twirling her around quickly.

"DYLAN NICHOLAS PUT ME DOWN!" Stella screamed at him, kicking her legs around widely.

Vanessa reached over and honked Ashley's horn, scaring Dylan. He put Stella down and flicked them off, walking to the passenger side of Zac's car. Bubba was already in the back seat as Dylan climbed in. Stella rolled her eyes and got into the driver's seat just as flashes started going off. Ashley pulled off as Stella followed her through downtown Los Angeles.

"Ash, can you PLEEEASSEEEE go to Carl Jr.s? I would kill for a hamburger right now." Zac said, leaning his head against the side of her seat.

"They are closed. What about McDonalds?" she said.

"Perfect! You're the bomb!" he replied excitedly.

Vanessa squealed when she heard her favorite song come on the radio. She turned it up and started singing.

"To my home girls here with the big butt, shaking it like we at a strip club, remember only God can judge ya, forget the haters 'cause somebody loves ya!"

Zac started singing along in a high-pitched, girly voice, making both Vanessa and Ashley burst out in laughter. When the song went off, the girls were still laughing at Zac's version of the song.

"You might want to let Miley stick to singing that song there, Zac," she said as she rolled down the window to order.

"Oh, please. You loved my singing!" he said as he rolled down the back window.

"Zachary Efron, stop it!" Ashley said as the lady came on to take their order.

"_Welcome to McDonald's what can I get you?"_

_z: "Can I get a Whopper, please?"_

"_Sir, this isn't Burger King."_

_Z: "Damn! Does that mean I can't have it my way?" he joked, making the paparazzi hanging out around the car laugh. "I'm just kidding! I'll have umm some chicken nuggets…"_

"_How many sir?"_

_z: "Um…20. And a large fry and ummm a chocolate milkshake and a big mac….baby do you want anything? Ash do you?"_

_v: "no, I'll eat some of yours."_

_A: "Can I get a cheeseburger with no onions and a diet coke, please."_

_Z: "and then we will have 20 more nuggets."_

"_So that's 40 chicken nuggets, a cheeseburger with no onions, a large fry, a chocolate milkshake and a diet coke?"_

_z: "Boom! That's it! Great job!"_

"_That will be 21.96, please pull around."_

"Someone is cranky," Zac mumbled, making the girls giggle. They were waiting in the drive thru line as paparazzi began asking questions.

"Is that a hickey on your neck Zac?" one of them asked. Zac busted out laughing at the same time Vanessa giggled into Ashley's shoulder.

They pulled up to the window and the lady freaked out. "OH MY GOD YOU ARE ZAC EFRON! AND VANESSA HUDGENS! AND ASHLEY TISDALE! HOLY SHIT! Zac can I please have a picture with you?!"

Zac laughed at her reaction. "Yeah, of course." He went to open the door, but struggled. "Sorry, I'm a little drunk," he mumbled. He finally got out and leaned towards the window as the girl handed Ashley her phone.

"Whoa, wait. You gotta let me wear the drive thru mic for the picture," Zac said holding out his hand. The girl handed it over and Zac posed as Ashley took the picture.

"Thank you so much! Vanessa was that your little sister in the car in front of you guys? She looked just like you!"

"Yeah, that's my little sis!" Vanessa said as Zac paid for the order.

"Well the cute guy in the front seat was ALL over her! Are they dating?"

Zac's eyes went wide. "No…no they aren't. When you say All over…..?" he asked questioningly.

"He was just very very flirtatious!" she said as she handed back his credit card.

Ashley smiled and pulled up to the next window. "I'm going to kill that little shit," Zac mumbled.

"He is just drunk, let him be," Vanessa said as she grabbed his milkshake when it was handed to Ashley.

"Heyyyyy! That's mine!" he whined as they drove off, heading back to Vanessa's house. She giggled and gave him the puppy dog eyes.

"Finnnneeeee. You better be glad I love you, woman," he said as he began eating his fries.

Ten minutes later and Stella parked Zac's car in Vanessa's garage while Ashley parked in the driveway. Zac got out of the car and grabbed his bag of food with one hand and opened Vanessa's door. She grabbed her heels before taking his hand and getting out. She looped her arm through his, holding onto his bicep tightly as they began to walk up the steps leading to her front door.

"Fuck these steps, Nessa," he said as she nearly tripped up one, giggling. Stella walked out of the garage, holding onto Dylan. Bubba followed behind them, laughing at Dylan trying to flirt with Stella.

"Dylan, no. I will not hook up with you just because you are drunk," Stella said, laughing at his drunken state. Ashley busted out laughing as Vanessa struggled to unlock her front door. Zac took her keys from her and got down to eye level with the lock, finally opening the door.

"YES!" he cheered loudly. They all walked inside and Ashley locked the door behind them.

"More steps?! What. The. Hell." Zac said as he starred at her stairs with a scared look on his face. Vanessa laughed, jumping on his back. They all made their way to the second floor. They all went their separate ways except for Zac and Vanessa who made their way to the master bedroom.

Zac took of his jeans and shirt before laying down on the bed. Vanessa jumped around in circles as she struggled to get her skinny jeans off. She gave up and took off her shirt before falling backwards on the bed. "Screw it. I can't get them off!"

He laughed at her and rolled over, facing her. He sat up and grabbed the waistband of her jeans, pulling them down. She giggled loudly as he threw them across the room. He moved back up beside her and slid under the covers. She kissed him softly before turning around and placing her back towards him. "Hey woman, no teasing!" he said as he unsnapped her bra before she knew what was going on. She rolled over onto her back with a smirk on her face. He grabbed the straps and gently brought them down her arms before removing the bra and slinging across the room. "Now, we're even," he winked as he pulled her close, their bare chests resting against each other. She giggled softly and kissed him once more before snuggling up to him as they both fell into a deep slumber.


	10. Chapter 10

Vanessa woke up the next morning to the sun shining through her windows. She groaned as she felt like a brick was laying on her head. She rolled over to see Zac lying on his stomach with his face buried in the pillow. She poked him in his side, smiling when he grunted and mumbled something incoherent.

"Zaccy, I wanna snuggle," she said softly.

"Whattimeisit?" he asked, not moving his face from the pillow.

"10:30," she whispered back as she laid on her side, running her fingers over his back muscles.

"Youwannacuddle?" he asked, still not moving his head.

"Yes please," she said in a baby voice. He took a deep breath before rolling over onto his side and opening his arms with a cute smile on his face as he slowly opened his eyes. She smiled happily and cuddled up to him, resting an arm around his waist with her hand on his butt as he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Anything for you, baby," he whispered as he closed his eyes once again.

"When are you going to leave?"

"Hmmm….around noon, I guess."

"Dyl is going to have an awesome time driving back with a hangover."

"Sucks for him. I'm sleeping on the way up there. My girlfriend decided to wake me up when the sun came up this morning for sex, so I'm a little tired," he whispered, teasing her.

"Oh shush. You weren't complaining when it happened," she said, squeezing his butt.

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "And I'm still not complaining. It was definitely worth it."

She giggled before kissing his cheek.

"Bro, turn down the radio," Zac said as he leaned his seat back, trying to fall asleep as the Efron brothers made the three hour drive to San Luis Obispo.

"I like this album, though. Get over it." Dylan replied.

"Dylan, if you don't turn off the radio I am going to tell Greg about you hitting on Stella and trying to hook up with her."

Zac smiled triumphantly as Dylan lowered the radio. "I hate you." Dylan said under his breath.

Zac chuckled, "Love you too, bro."

"Oww! What the fuck, dude?!" Zac said angrily as he received a punch into his side.

"We are here. Wake up," Dylan said as he turned off the car and got out. He grabbed his suitcase, along with Zac's bag and they made their way inside.

"Hi boys!" Starla said happily as they walked into the kitchen.

"Hey mom," Dylan said as he hugged her.

"Hey momma!" Zac said, kissing her cheek. She immediately began fixing them something to eat.

"Mom…..I brought my laundry home for you," Dylan said with a charming smile on his face.

Zac looked at him, shaking his head. "How about a 'hey mom, thanks for paying for my college education, I'd really really love it if you would please do my laundry."

Dylan rolled his eyes. "You don't even have room to talk, Vanessa does your laundry!"

"Yeah, because I ask nicely or because she volunteers when she sees clothes lying everywhere."

Starla rolled her eyes as the boys fussed. "Zachary? Dylan?" she said, interrupting their playful banter. Dylan and Zac instantly stopped when she used their full first names. They gulped and slowly turned to look at her.

"Yes ma'am?" they both said.

"Well I turned on the TV this morning and I see BOTH of my sons leaving a bar, then I see my youngest son flirting with someone who is potentially, one day, his future sister in law, then I see my oldest son ordering 40 chicken nuggets at McDonalds and sitting in the drive thru window taking a picture. Care to explain?"

Dylan looked at Zac with a scared look on his face.

Zac shrugged his shoulders before smiling charmingly and hugging Starla tight, "I love you, Mommy. And I don't bring my dirty laundry for you. And I gave you a daughter you never had. And I'm the cuter son."

Starla laughed at him as Dylan said "Hey!" in protest.

"I'm not mad at you, Zachary. I'm proud of you for not driving." Zac smiled in accomplishment and kissed her on the cheek before slapping Dylan on the back with a smirk on his face.

"I didn't drive either!" Dylan said, hoping she wouldn't bring up the Stella part again.

"I saw that. Which I am also proud of you for. However…..what the hell were you thinking?" she asked as she hit him across the back of his head softly.

"I'm sorry! I already apologized to her! I was drunk!"

"Drunkenness isn't a good excuse, young man. What if you would have? That would have changed everything! She is like your little sister!"

"I know! I know! I'm really sorry!"

"Don't let it happen again, young man."

"I promise it won't."

She nodded, smiling and returned to making them something to eat. Dylan looked at Zac with wide eyes, thankful that the lecture was over. Zac chuckled softly, pulling out his phone, starting a text message to "My Baby V".

"_Dyl just got a Starlecture for last night."_

"_For the public drunkenness or the Stella thing?"_

"_Stella thing."_

"_I think it is funny. You Efron boys obviously have a thing for the Hudgens girls ; ) "_

"_I don't think he does, but I sure do ; ) "_

"_Hmmm….I wonder which one of us you like more…."_

"_Then one whose bed I woke up in naked this morning and the one whose name I moan during sex and the one who I have loved since I first laid eyes on her 8 years ago."_

"_You just turned me on and made me almost cry in one text message."_

"_What can I say? I'm a man of many talents."_

"_That you are, baby. That you are. ; ) "_

"_Getting naughty, are we, Hudgens?"_

"_Maybe. I can't help it. I'm just laying here in my bed, naked, thinking about you….naked."_

"_Nessa! You're killing me! I'm sitting here talking to my mom and Dylan!"_

"_I wish my hands felt as good as yours….."_

Zac nearly choked as he read the massage. He quickly excused himself from the table and ran upstairs, speed dialing number one.

"_Hellllloooo?"_

"_Vanessa Anne!" _His scolding tone was met with a sweet giggle in response.

"_I'm sorry baby. I was just messing with you. I'm actually waiting in the dentist's office."_

"_I'll get you back, Hudgens." _He chuckled as he laid on his bed, talking to her. _"You nervous?"_

"_You know I always am. I hate the dentist."_

"_You're just getting them cleaned, baby. No need to be afraid."_

"_I know, I know. I can't wait to come see you. I already miss you."_

"_I miss you too, Ness. But tomorrow is Christmas Eve!"_

She giggled at his excitement, "_You are so silly."_

"_You love me."_

"_Yes, I do. I gotta go, they just called my name. Love you."_

"_Love you too babe. MWAH!"_

They hung up and Zac made his way back downstairs. Starla had just finished putting some more wrapped presents under the tree. "Sweetie, can you do me a favor and run to the grocery store and pick up a few things?" she asked Zac.

"Yeah, do you have a list?" he asked, grabbing his wallet and her car keys. She nodded, grabbing it off the counter and handing it to him.

He looked at the long list. "I'll be back….in like 12 hours," he joked.

"Ha Ha. So funny. Be careful," she said, giving him a stern look.

"I will," he said, kissing her cheek as he made his way out of the door.

Vanessa woke up to someone jumping on the bed. She opened her eyes to see her childhood room and Stella jumping on the bed, excitedly.

"Nessa! Get up! Get up! Get up! It's CHRISTMAS!" Stella said, jumping up and down. Vanessa groaned loudly as she looked over at the clock that was flashing "7:04."

"Okay, okay! Just quit jumping!" she said as she wiped her eyes, sitting up. She grabbed her phone to see a text message waiting on. She smiled, opening it.

"_MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY! I hope you have a wonderful morning and I can't wait to see you soon. No matter what presents I get today, you will always be my favorite present. I love you and I will see you soon. MWAH :-* "_

She smiled widely before replying, "_Merry Christmas, baby boo. I can't wait to see you. Have a good Christmas. See you soon. I love you. MWAH!" _

Stella grabbed her hand, pulling her out of bed. The smell of coffee and breakfast filled the Hudgens' house as the girls ran downstairs, excitedly.

"Merry Christmas, girls!" Greg said as he hugged them both.

"Merry Christmas, Daddy," Vanessa smiled as she kissed his cheek. They all sat down to eat breakfast.

"So you are leaving around 11?" Gina asked Vanessa.

"Yeah. That way I will get there around 2. I hope traffic isn't bad. What time are you guys heading to the airport?"

"Noon," Greg replied. He, Gina, and Stella were flying to New York for the rest of Christmas and for New Year's Eve.

"You guys are going to have so much fun! Zac said it was blast and that the hotel you guys are staying at it the perfect place to be!"

"I can't wait!" Stella said. They finished eating breakfast before they all quickly made their way to the living room.

Stella turned on Christmas music as they opened presents.

Zac woke up and grabbed his phone. His wallpaper brought a sleepy smile to his face. It was the one someone took of Vanessa smiling into the camera with her arms around Zac's neck as he kissed her cheek. Seeing that it was already 6:30 in the morning, he texted Vanessa before jumping out of bed and throwing on some pajama pants. He ran out of his door just as Dylan ran out of his room, across the hall.

They smiled big at each other before sprinting down the stars with Puppy closely following them, barking in excitement. They ran into the living room to see Starla and David sitting on the couch with amused looks on their faces.

"What took you guys so long?" David teased.

Zac and Dylan laughed loudly as they sat on the floor by the Christmas tree.

"Zachary, I'm going to need you to hurry up and get the move on. I miss having little ones around on Christmas."

"If you want a little one around, I can walk around on my knees or something. That's not going to happen for awhile, mom."

"I know, I know. Wishful thinking," she teased.

"So that's why you didn't get a box of condoms in your stocking this year," Dylan joked, nudging his shoulder.

Zac shook his head, laughing. When the Efrons finished opening presents, they all went out for breakfast and took a little hike before going to the beach.

They all had a blast at the beach, just hanging out and spending quality time together. David looked down at his watch. "It's a little past 1:30, Zac. Should we head out?"

He nodded, excitedly. "Yeah, she'll be here soon." They made their way back to the car before getting in and heading back home. They pulled into the driveway and as they got out, Vanessa's black Audi pulled in. Zac smiled widely as she got out of the car. He quickly ran to her, picking her up and spinning her around as she erupted in giggles. He looked up as he stopped spinning and she leaned down, kissing him lovingly. He pulled back, smiling from ear to ear before kissing her again. He placed her on her feet and pecked her lips once more as he entwined their hands. "Merry Christmas, baby."

"Merry Christmas," she smiled back sweetly. He smiled before stepping away and grabbing her bags form the car. Dylan hugged her tightly, saying Merry Christmas before Starla and David followed suit. Starla wrapped her arm around Vanessa's shoulder as they walked into the house, deep in a conversation.

Zac took Vanessa's bag upstairs to his room before coming back downstairs to find her and Starla sitting in front of the fireplace, drinking Apple Cider while Dylan and David watched the Celtics v. Lakers basketball game on TV.

Zac smiled at Vanessa before sitting on the couch beside David and watching the game. After a little while, Starla got up to go start fixing Christmas dinner. Vanessa made her way over to where the boys were sitting and Zac patted the spot beside him, between David and Zac. She sat down and cuddled up to him as he placed his arm around her shoulders, kissing her forehead.

He stole a sip of her cider as they watched the game.

That night, everyone was heading to bed as it was getting late. Zac and Vanessa walked into Zac's room and he locked the door. He looked around and didn't see her. He heard the water running in the bathroom and figured she was taking a shower.

He removed his shirt and jeans before sitting on the bed, flipping through the channels.

"Babbbbyyyy?" Vanessa called from the bathroom.

"Yessss?" he mocked back to her. He looked to his left to see her standing in the doorway wrapped in a towel with her hair in a messy bun on top of her head, smiling.

"Do you wanna join me?" she asked sweetly.

He smiled wide before jumping up and walking to the bathroom. He pulled off his boxers before getting into the bathtub that was filled with bubbles and hot water. She dropped her towel and got in, resting between his legs. She sighed in contentment as the warm water relaxed her muscles.

He kissed her bare shoulder softly, making his way along the back of her neck and to her other shoulder. She tilted her head back, smiling at him. He looked into her eyes before placing his hand on her neck, tracing her jaw with is thumb as he kissed her soundly.

She placed her hand around his wrist, deepening the kiss. His other hand moved down her side slowly, grazing over the side of her breast as it continued to move down. His fingers splayed across her toned abdomen as he stopped moving his hand, but not his lips.

They pulled apart a few moments later, breathless. She smiled before pecking his lips once more. He grabbed the soap and began washing her body.

"You excited for Ashley's New Years Eve party?" she asked, whispering. She didn't want to break the intimate mood of the dark bathroom with candles.

"Mmmhmm," he replied, still lathering her with soap. "Who all is going?"

"Dylan, Stella, me, you…." She teased.

He moved his fingers to tickle her, but he refrained when she realized what was about to happen and began talking again.

"And Laura New, Kim Hidalgo, Selena Gomez, Brittany Snow, Mo and her husband, Lucas and his girlfriend, Corbin, Chris Warren, Ryne, Oleysa, Kaycee Stroh, Chucky, and a bunch more people. It's at her house, but I think there is like 30 or 40 people coming." She turned to look at him when he didn't say anything and she saw a sad look on his face.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, turning around to face him. He faked a small smile and shook his head. "Nothing," he said softly. She frowned and wrapped her legs around his waist, sitting in his lap and lifted his chin.

"Baby, tell me. What's bothering you?"

"I just….I guess I'm nervous. Not about seeing the cast or anything, but everyone else…they were there around you when I wasn't. What if they don't like me? What if they think you should be with Austin?" he finished quietly as he looked away, hurt clearly in his eyes.

"Hey," she said, lifting trying to turn his face to look at her. "What happened to the Zac that's confident and doesn't care what other people think?"

"I don't care what other people think…" he finally looked her in the eyes as he finished his sentence, "….except for you…those people could tell you that I'm not right for you and you made a mistake. I've lost you once, Vanessa and it was hell. I lost my best friend, my girlfriend, my everything and I also lost all my other friends."

She noticed his eyes glassing over and placed her small hands on his cheeks, wiping a tear as it fell down his cheek out of his sparkling blue eyes. "Baby, I don't care what other people think of our relationship. I have known you longer than anyone else there, besides Stellz obviously, and out of all of those people, you are by far my best friend and always have been. We grew up together Zac. When I had a bad day, I went to you. When I needed to laugh or someone to vent to, you were there. When the photo scandal happened, you were half a world a way yet you were still there for me. And when it happened again, you were there…once again. When I get good news, I want to share it with you first. When I have a bad day and feel like punching someone, I want your arms around me while I'm crying. At the end of the day, you are the one I want and the one I NEED by my side. You are my everything and if they don't like that, I don't want them in my life."

He swallowed, nodding softly.

"Can I see that beautiful smile that I love so much?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"Only if I can have a kiss first," he said with a straight face. She leaned forward to place a soft kiss on her lips, but Zac placed his hands on her back, pulling her close and igniting the kiss with passion. She kissed back and only pulled away when they needed air.

He finally smiled, his blue eyes sparkling.

"You okay?" she asked, running her hand through his hair.

He nodded and smiled. "Sorry for being a girl," he chuckled. She bit her lip and moved her hips against his gently. "Baby, I think we both know you are NOT a girl."

She smiled as he groaned softly. They both got out of the tub, drying off, not breaking eye contact. Finally she jumped into his arms and kissed him as he carried them to his bed. As he hovered over her, he looked in her eyes before making the final move to connect their bodies.

"I love you, Ness. Merry Christmas."

"I love you too, Zac."


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! Just wanted to take a second to thank all of you who have reviewed/followed/favorited any of my stories. **

**I was on Instagram and this amazing account I follow: zanessalicious was talking about this story, so thank you to whoever you are for saying the nice things you did! It meant a lot! I'm glad my story is able to touch you on an emotional level. Your account is one of the best Zanessa accounts on Instagram and it was awesome knowing that you read this! **

**Here is the next chapter, I hope you all like it! **

"This is going to be awesome, bro! I need to find a hot chick!" Dylan said as Zac pulled his Audi into Vanessa's garage.

"Well I guess I don't have to worry about it being Stella since she is in NYC still," Zac joked, turning off the car.

"Ha. Ha. So funny," Dylan said with a flat look on his face. Zac pushed the button, closing the garage door as he unlocked the door and walked into the house.

"Nessa? Baby, we're here!" Zac called out as he and Dylan walked through the kitchen and into the living room.

Zac looked super sexy with his white shirt, brown leather jacket, and dark wash skinny jeans with his white vans. His scruffy face and bright blue eyes looked perfect with his slightly tousled hair that was sticking up, making him look drop-dead amazing.

Vanessa ran down the steps wearing light skinny jeans with an oversized black shirt that was slightly tucked in at the front with black sandals and a long necklace. She had her long black hair down in its natural curls. She had on some bracelets and her kuuipo ring, of course.

"Hey gorgeous," Zac smiled, kissing her softly as she reached them.

"Hey baby. Hey Dyl." She smiled.

"You ready to go?" Zac asked as she slid her phone into her back pocket. She nodded, smiling, and handed him her keys. Dylan turned around and walked to the garage, passing Zac's to get to Vanessa's car. Zac locked the house door before getting into the driver's seat.

He pulled out of the driveway, holding her hand as he drove. They made the 6-minute drive to Ashley's house before pulling into the driveway. They got out and Vanessa noticed the tension Zac had.

She squeezed his hand and pulled him in for a kiss. "I love you."

He smiled and kissed her once more as they rang the doorbell. "I love you, too."

Chris opened the door, letting them in. "Hey guys, come on in." Zac and Dylan shook his hand and walked inside. Vanessa held on to Zac's hand as they walked through Ashley's house where Lucas was playing bartender of the party. They walked up to him, giving him a hug and he starts making them each a drink. They begin talking to him and his girlfriend when they hear Vanessa's name being yelled.

They look up to see a group of girls rushing over to her that Zac has never met. The girls hug her excitedly.

"Laura, Kim, this is my boyfriend, Zac. Babe, this is Laura and Kim." She smiled, wrapping her arm around Zac's waist.

"Nice to meet you," he said as his breathtaking smile forms. He stuck out his hand as they shook it.

"My God, you are even sexier in person!" Laura said, shaking his hand.

Vanessa giggled loudly as Zac blushed. "Thank you?" he replied questioningly.

"It's great to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you," Kim said politely.

"Well, well. If it isn't mister Prank Master!" Chris Warren Jr. said excitedly as he hugged Zac. "How are you man?!"

"Chris! I'm good, man. How was college? You graduated this past spring right?" Zac asked as Lucas handed him a glass of tequila on the rocks.

"Yeah, man. Is it was fun. I feel old now though!" he laughed. "Hey, I heard about you and Vanessa breaking up. I'm sorry, bro. I really thought you guys were gonna like get married and stuff."

Zac looked at him with scrunched eyebrows, "Dude…."

"Chris!" Vanessa said as she ran over and hugged him tightly. "It's so good to see you!" she said, smiling brightly.

Chris looked at Zac confused when Vanessa wrapped her arm around Zac's waist.

"Wait, you didn't break up? But I thought….you were…" he stuttered.

Vanessa giggled, "We did, Chris. But we've been back together for a few months now."

"Thank God!" Chris said, hugging them tightly. They both laughed at him.

Two hours later, everyone had arrived and the party was in full swing. Some people were in the kitchen, talking while others were outside on the patio and around the pool and the rest were on the dance floor Ashley had created by moving all of her living room furniture and getting a party planning crew to install a temporary dance floor that was the size of her huge living room and turning on music from her iPod.

All of the HSM cast was on the dance floor, except for Zac who was using the restroom. When he walked in, Corbin immediately pulled him onto the dance floor. They all danced together.

The girls cheered loudly when "Single Ladies" came on. Vanessa looked at Ashley and Mo, laughing as she remembered them dancing to it one day on set. They looked at each other and began dancing to it together, doing the dance perfectly just like Beyoncé. Vanessa stood in the middle with Ashley and Monique to her side. Everyone that was watching had a huge smile on his or her face. Monique's husband, Zac, and Chris (Ashley's boyfriend, not Chris Warren) were all standing together as the girls directed the dance towards them.

When the dance was over, everyone clapped and rejoined them on the dance floor. "Hey, I did put a ring on it," Mo's husband, smiled.

"Me too…. technically," Zac pointed out lifting his hand to show his kuuipo ring. Vanessa giggled, kissing him on the lips before they all started dancing again.

An hour later, many people were on the line of being tipsy while others were well on their way to drunkenness.

Ashley turned off the music and turned on the huge tv on her wall to watch one of the New Year's Eve programs. Everyone in attendance grabbed a glass of champagne, as the minutes got closer. They all stood together in a semi-circle, watching the TV. Zac had one arm wrapped around Vanessa's waist as Dylan stood to his right side.

Everyone started counting down.

"10…9….8…7…."

Vanessa and Zac turned to face each other, looking into each other's eyes as they continued counting down. Vanessa wrapped her arms around Zac's neck, careful not to spill her champagne, as Zac did the same, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close.

"6….5….4…..3…..2….1!" As "Happy New Year" was said on the TV, Zac and Vanessa were in the middle of a very deep, loving lip lock. They pulled apart when everyone starting cheering, bringing in the New Year. Everyone toasted their champagne before exchanging hugs.

A few days later, Vanessa was leaving her pilates class when her phone rang. "Hello?"

"Ness, it's me. I have some bad news."

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned as she got into the silence of her Audi.

"I'm on my way to the airport. I got a call from Jason like an hour ago and the movie we're working on producing needs one of us out there and his wife is sick so I have to go. I've tried calling you so I could stop and say goodbye, but my flight leaves in like twenty minutes now."

She tried to hide the disappointment in her voice. This was the part she hated about their jobs. "Oh…okay. Well I hope you have a safe flight babe."

"Nessa, I know we were supposed to go out tonight and stuff. Baby, please don't be upset. If you start crying, I'm not going to be able to get on this plane and Ninjas Runnin Wild will lose the movie and then I'll get a bad name and no one will ever want to work with me again and then I'll be an old-washed up, eighty year old man singing "We're All In This Together" in my nursing home all alone."

She giggled loudly, making relief run through him.

"If you're an eighty year old washed-up actor singing it, then I'll be a seventy-nine year old washed-up actress singing it right beside you," she replied making him laugh.

"Sounds like a plan, baby…..Are you okay?" he asked as he carried his bag through the airport, trying to go incognito from paparazzi.

"Yeah. When do you get back?" she asked, driving through Studio City.

"Anywhere from a few days to around a week. I won't really know until I get to New York."

"Okay. Well be careful. Call me when you land?" she asked softly.

"Absolutely. I've gotta go, beautiful. They are calling my plane. I love you, Ness."

"I love you too, Zac. MWAH!"

He chuckled and smiled widely before replying, "Mwah Mwah Mwah. Bye baby."

"Bye babe."

He turned his phone onto airplane mode, not able to hide his smile. _That girl always knows how to make my day better_ he thought to himself as he boarded the plane. He pulled out his headphones and plugged them into his phone before leaning his head against the window and closing his eyes.

That night, he walked into his hotel room after getting back from a bunch of business meetings. Seeing it was nearly midnight, he jumped in the shower and laid down in bed before reaching for his cell phone.

He unlocked the screen and replied to a funny message Dylan had sent him before dialing a very familiar number.

"Hey you!" a sweet voice said on the other side.

"Hey babe," he replied, exhausted but happy to hear her voice.

"Long day?"

"Extremely. Boring business meetings all day."

"Did you find out how long it will take you there?"

"Umm…at least a week."

He heard her sigh on the other side. "Nessa Anne, you better take those pink soft lips and remove them from the pouting position and stop doing those cute little puppy-dog eyes," he scolded, jokingly.

She giggled softly, "How is it that you know what I am doing when your hundreds of miles away?"

"I know everything about you, baby," he replied seriously.

Her joking tone instantly went away. "Don't be sad. If I didn't have a photo-shoot this week, I'd fly to you," she told him.

"I know. It just sucks being away from you. I hate it."

"Me too, babe." When he didn't, she knew he had dozed off. "I love you, baby boy. Sweet dreams."

"I HATE BEING FAMOUS!" Vanessa sighed angrily, falling back onto Ashley's bed and throwing her phone beside her.

"Oh hush, you love your job. What's up?" she asked, putting away some new clothes into her closet.

"Zac was supposed to come home tomorrow and now those idiots are making him stay another week! That's three weeks, Ash! THREE!" she said, covering her eyes with her forearm.

"Why can't someone else from the production company go there so Zac can come home?"

"Because it's Zac's company and apparently they need him, not the others."

"I totally understand, Nessa. I've got a production meeting tomorrow with Blondie Girl. It's a tough job and super stressful sometimes. But even though he loves it, he loves you more and I'm sure if there was a way for him to come home, he would."

"I know, I know. It just sucks! I miss him! My bed is all cold and lonely and I can't sleep as good and I miss having him around," she frowned. "Plus he is going to miss Valentine's Day!"

"Vanessa Hudgens, stop laying around wallowing in sadness and go do something to take your mind off of it. If he could be here for Valentine's Day, you know he'd be here in a heartbeat. This is what sucks about our jobs. But you guys can always celebrate when he gets home."

"UGGGHHHHHH. I miss him, Ash."

"Then go stay at his house or something! Or go hang out with Dylan! He is basically a mini me of Zac!"

Vanessa sat up on the bed quickly with wide eyes. "You're a genius, Ash!" she said excitedly, grabbing her phone.

She dialed a number and smiled when someone picked up.

"_Hello my dear brother-in-law, whatcha doing?"_

"_Sis-in-law! Hey! Nothing much, just got back from surfing. What are you doing?"_

"_Sitting here with talking with Ashley. I ummm….are you doing anything Saturday night?"_

"_Asking me on a date? I knew this day would come. I always told Zac it would!" he joked._

_She laughed loudly, "Ha. Ha. Very funny. Are you?"_

"_No, I don't have any plans. Why, what's up?"_

"_Do you want to go to a Lakers game with me?"_

"_You miss him?"_

"_Like crazy."_

"_I'll be there. What time does it start?"_

"_7."_

"_Cool. I'll head down that way around 2 then so I have time to use my Efron manners and take you to dinner before hand. We'll have some quality bro and sis time. Sound good?"_

"_Sounds amazing. You're the best. Thanks Dyl."_

"_You're welcome. Can't wait to tell Zac I'm taking you on a date and he isn't. This is gonna be great!"_

"_Be nice. He wishes he was here!"_

"_I know, I'm just messing with him. Hey, I gotta go but I'll see you in a few days, okay?"_

"_K. Bye Dyl."_

They hung up and Ashley looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Happy?"

"Yes. As happy as I can be without him actually here."

Ashley laughed at her, but smiled. "Good, I'm glad. Now come on, let's go get some dinner!"

As Vanessa got into bed that night, she opened her laptop and propped herself her up the pillows, resting the laptop on her legs. She smiled widely when the she got a new Skype alert. Hitting the connect button, she was brought face to face with her boyfriend.

"Hey baby!" she said with a big smile on her face.

"Hey you!" he smiled back. "Hey! How come you're in my bed, missy?" he joked.

She giggled and bit her lip. "I missed you and your pillow in my bed didn't smell like you anymore. So I came here," she smiled.

He chuckled. "You know I'm just kidding, you can sleep there whenever you want. I'm sure you're already wearing my boxers along with my favorite t-shirt I see you have on."

"Hey, they are more comfy! And they make me feel like you're sleeping beside me. I know it's weird, but…"

"It's not weird, baby. I totally understand. I wish I could fit into your tiny little sweatshirts so I could feel the same."

She laughed at his joke before looking at him with adoration in her eyes.

He got a teasing look on his face before he smirked. "So what's this I hear about you replacing me with a younger, hotter, funnier version of myself?"

She laughed loudly, before smiling. "He may be younger, but he is definitely not hotter or funnier. And he isn't replacing you. Just temporarily filling in. Plus, he doesn't have the same brightness to his blue eyes or the perfectly defined jaw-line with just the right amount of stubble or the cute freckle on his left cheek near his ear. He also doesn't have the tiny red scar on his lower abdomen that reminds me of one of the scariest days of my life yet makes me thankful to have you. He doesn't have the scar on his right hand from hitting a floor while filming a movie. He doesn't rub the back of his neck when he is nervous. He doesn't blush when someone asks him about me. He doesn't clap in the middle of laughing if he finds something funny, yet a little awkward. He doesn't know how to make my day better by just smiling at me or making a funny face. He can't make all my nervousness go away by holding my hand or wrapping his arm around me. He can't make my heart race or butterflies appear in my stomach by winking at me. He can't make me feel like the only girl in the world. He isn't my best friend and he isn't you."

He cleared his throat as he blinked back a few tears that formed in his eyes. They just stared at each other in a comfortable silence.

"I love you," he smiled. It was a simple sentence yet it held so much meaning between them. It was the perfect response.

She smiled cutely, "I love you too."

"It is so hard being away from you. It's killing me."

"I know. I wish you were here with me. Your pillow feels a lot scrawnier than you when I cuddle up to it," she said with a scrunched nose.

He laughed, "I'm glad. Otherwise you might just tape a picture of my face to my pillow and walk around with that instead of me."

She started laughing so hard that she snorted, making him laugh too.

"Someone has the giggles tonight," he smiled as he took a sip of water.

She bit her lip, smiling at him, "I'm just happy to see you."

He winked, "Right back at cha baby."

Suddenly Shadow came running into the room and jumped into her lap, looking frantically for Zac since she heard his voice.

"Look Shadow, it's Daddy!" Vanessa said, pointing to the screen.

Shadow barked at the screen and wagged her tail.

"Hey girl! You better not pee in Daddy's house." He said pointing at the screen. Vanessa giggled and Shadow moved away, laying on Zac's side of the bed as she got bored.

"You look tired, baby. You should get some sleep," Vanessa said sweetly as a yawn escaped his mouth.

He nodded and smiled softly. "I'll call you in the morning?" he asked, rubbing his tired eyes.

"I'll be waiting. Sleep good babe."

"You too. Have fun sleeping in my cozy, warm bed," he joked. "I love you, baby. I'll meet you in my dreams," he said while blowing her a kiss with two hands and winking. "Mwah!"

She smiled and blew him a kiss. "I love you too. Mwah!"

They ended their skype conversation and closed their computers before falling asleep on different sides of the country, but with matching smiles on their faces.


	12. Chapter 12

Vanessa had just finished doing her hair and make up when the doorbell rang. She quickly took off her robe and pulled on her dress and cardigan. She slid on her bracelets as she ran down the steps.

The person at the door began ringing the doorbell quickly. She opened the door and quickly pulled Dylan inside as paparazzi were standing on the curb taking pictures like crazy. She closed the door back.

"My god! They are persistent!" he said, hugging her tightly. "Hey Nessa."

"Hey Dyl. I'm almost ready, I've just got to go upstairs and grab my shoes okay?"

He nodded and made his way to the living room, flopping down on the couch as she ran up the stairs.

She pulled on some knee-high boot socks before pulling on some brown boots. When she came back downstairs, Dylan was hanging up the phone.

"Mom said to tell you hi and that you need to come visit," Dylan told her as he slid his phone back into his pocket.

Vanessa giggled as she grabbed her purse. "You ready to go?"

He nodded and stood up.

As they walked out of the living room and towards the front door, she stopped and looked at him. "Are you sure you don't want me to drive? You just drove like three hours."

"I'm sure. I'm totally fine."

She nodded and locked the door as they walked out. As they made their way down the front steps of her house, to her driveway, flashes were going off like crazy.

"It's freaky how they are always there and know exactly where you are," he said, opening the door for her as she got into the passenger seat of his car.

She laughed at him as he got in. "You get used to it after a while. I guess it's worth it," she shrugged.

"So, what do you want to eat?" Dylan asked as he backed out of her driveway.

"I don't care, I'm good with anything. Is there a specific type of food that you want?" she asked, thinking of restaurants on their way to the stadium.

"Zac is always talking about a burger place that's really good near here. I don't remember the name of it."

"Umami burger? It's his favorite."

"Yeah, that's it! You wanna go there?"

"Sure, I haven't had it in a couple of weeks."

They began chatting as Dylan drove, following her directions.

When they arrived at the restaurant, they went inside and were seated in a booth.

A familiar waitress came over to take their order. "Vanessa! Hey! Where's Zac at tonight?" she asked, smiling.

Vanessa smiled at the younger girl who was always hers and Zac's waitress when they came. "He is in New York doing some work for his production company. He's going to be super jealous when he finds out we came here. Oh, Katie, this is Dylan, Zac's brother."

"Nice to meet you," Dylan smiled up at her.

"You too. Are you in the business too?"

"Noooo. Hell no. I'm finishing up my senior year up at Cal Poly."

"Oh, really? That's awesome. What's your major?"

"Marine Biology."

"That's awesome! My friend was a marine bio major. What are you doing your senior project on?"

"Mating habits of Great White Sharks along the central Cali coast."

"No way! That sounds so cool!"

Dylan nodded, smiling. Vanessa watched with an amused look on her face.

Katie blushed and smiled nervously. "What can I get you to drink?"

"I'll have a coke, please."

"Water with lemon," Vanessa smiled. She nodded and walked away to get their drinks.

As they finished their dinner, Vanessa went to pay the bill. Dylan took the bill from the waitress first and handed her his card.

"Dyl, you really don't have to. I owe you for coming down here."

Dylan rolled his eyes, just like Zac. "First of all, I want to. Second, you got us floor seats for the game. And finally, not only would Starla lecture me about manners, your boyfriend aka my brother that is much stronger than me as of recently would kick my ass if I invited you to dinner and didn't pay."

"You and Zac are so stubborn," she said, smiling. Dylan got his card back and left the tip before they got up to leave. He opened the door for Vanessa and followed out behind her."

They walked side-by-side back to his car as paparazzi walked around them, trying to talk to them. She grabbed Dylan's arm as the flashes made it almost impossible for her to see where she was going.

He remembered back to the call he had received a few hours earlier…..

Flashback

_Dylan was getting ready to leave his apartment in San Luis Obispo when his phone rang._

"_Hey bro, what's up?"_

"_Hey Dyl. Just got out of a meeting. Do you have a second?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Big brother lecture for a minute. I just wanted to warn you that the paparazzi are going to be super crazy tonight. They haven't gotten a picture of me and her together in a few weeks so they are going to be fighting for some new pictures. When it gets dark and they crowd around you, it gets really hard to see where you are walking or driving and it makes Ness super stressed out. So I need you to take care of her for me, okay?"_

"_I will, Zac. Don't worry."_

"_Thanks Dyl. Listen, I gotta go into this next meeting, but drive safe and call me if you need me."_

"_I will, man. Bye."_

When Dylan felt Vanessa grab his bicep for support, he realized how bright the flashes actually were and how correct Zac was. Thankfully they reached the car quickly and got inside.

"You okay?" Dylan asked as he started the car.

She just nodded, looking down, trying to hide her face from the cameras.

Dylan sighed in frustration as the paparazzi crowded around his car, preventing him from moving. Vanessa leaned up and honked the horn, making them both laugh when the paparazzi moved out of the way quickly.

Dylan quickly stepped on the gas, leaving the restaurant. As they made the twenty-minute drive to Staples Center, Vanessa's phone buzzed with a text.

"_Hey baby. I was going to call you, but I wasn't sure if you would be in the arena or not. I hope you are having a fun night. I am going to sleep because I had a really long day. Just wanted to tell you that I love you."_

"_We are about to pull in. We are having fun spending "sister/brother in law" bonding time as Dyl calls it. Wish u were here though. Miss u like crazy. Can't wait for you to be home in a few days. Sleep good baby, I love you."_

"Where is the best place to park?" Dylan asked.

"Ummm…. up there on the left where you and Zac parked last time. It's pretty far, but it's the closest we can get."

He nodded and pulled into the parking lot. They parked and got out before beginning to walk to the stadium. Out of no where, flashes surround them once again.

Dylan wrapped his arms around Vanessa's shoulder protectively, and used his hand to block the right side of her face from flashes. They made their way through the crowd and into the arena. Vanessa sighed and smiled up to Dylan in thanks. They made their way to their seats as the teams came out for warm-ups.

"This is where me, Zac, and Bubba sat." Dylan noticed, looking around.

"Yep. They are Zac's favorite seats. He gets them from Kobe," she said, putting her purse under the seat.

He looked at her with wide eyes. "Are you kidding me?"

She laughed at him, shaking her head. "No. After we first started coming to the games a lot, Kobe's kids would always come over and talk to us. Then that one game when Kobe practically fell in Zac's lap, Kobe came over and apologized after and they talked for a little while. Then when Zac ran into him again at the ESPY's, Kobe told him that if we ever wanted tickets, to call him or his manager."

"That is awesome!" Dylan said, bubbling with excitement.

As the game began, Vanessa noticed the paps taking pictures of them from across the court. She covered her mouth from view as she leaned to his ear. "Don't acknowledge them because it will make it worse, but there are paps straight across from us."

She pulled away and began watching the game again as he spotted them. He chuckled and watched the game too. They cheered in excitement as the Lakers won a very intense game versus the Miami Heat.

After waiting around for some of the craziness to die down, they began walking out of the arena. When they got back to Dylan's car, they made their way back to Vanessa's house.

"Dyl, seriously, please stay here tonight. I don't want you driving all the way back. Plus, you're leaving early to take Mom to breakfast for Valentine's Day tomorrow. You have your guest room and you can borrow some of Zac's clothes," she said, giving him the puppy dog eyes.

He chuckled, instantly giving in. "Fiiiiiineee. I know what Zac means now by puppy dog eyes," he mumbled as they got out of the car.

She giggled and unlocked her front door. When they got inside, she and Dylan went into her bedroom as she walked to her closet, grabbing a pair of Zac's gym shorts.

"Here you go," she smiled, handing them to him.

"Thank you." He gave her a brotherly hug, hugging her tight. "I had fun tonight, Nessa. We need to do it more often."

"Me too. And don't worry, we will. Thanks again for coming down and keeping me company. I missed having an Efron around," she teased.

"I know, we're awesome." He teased.

She laughed, rolling her eyes as she pulled out one of Zac's t-shirts and boxers for her to sleep in. She looked at him seriously. "Be careful driving back in the morning, okay?"

He nodded and smiled as he walked out. "I will. Goodnight sis-in-law."

"Night bro-in-law," she smiled as he closed her bedroom door. She brushed her teeth and washed her face before changing clothes and lying down.

Vanessa was woken up the next morning by the annoying sound of her phone beeping. She picked it up and was confused to see Zac's name with a new voicemail at 4:30 in the morning. She squinted her eyes as they adjusted to the bright light of her phone screen. Pressing the play button, Zac's voice was heard.

"_Hey baby girl, I'm sorry for waking you up this early. Don't be angry with me, I promise it will be worth it. I need you to do me a favor, okay?. Go downstairs and open your front door. I love you."_

Now wide awake due to curiosity, she got up and turned on the light before making her way downstairs. She opened her front door and looked down to see a huge bouquet of lilies with a card.

Smiling widely, she carefully picked up the flowers and took them inside. She placed them on the kitchen counter before putting them in a vase. Seeing the card with her name written on it in the messy scribble she would be able to recognize anywhere, she picked it up and opened it.

_I hope you like the flowers. Now I need you to get that cute little butt moving and go upstairs, pack a suitcase and go to the airport. A car is outside waiting for you. You're coming to me, baby. Make sure to pack for this weird New York City heat wave we are having. Don't worry about Shadow; your mom is coming to get her later this morning. See you soon. I love you._

Squealing loudly, she ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. She quickly grabbed her suitcase from the top shelf of her closet and began to pack quickly. Remembering what Zac said, she packed mostly shorts and tank tops. She grabbed everything she would need for the airport and made her way to the front porch where a car driver was waiting for her.

"Good morning, Ms. Hudgens," he smiled politely as he carried her bag down the driveway.

She smiled and got into the car. "Good morning." The drive to Los Angeles International Airport felt like it was taking a lot longer than normal. Vanessa couldn't stop tapping her feet, excited to get to there.

As they reached the airport, the driver got out and got her bag. He then reached into his suit pocket and pulled out an envelope. She smiled and took it before walking into the airport. She opened the envelope to find a ticket and a folded up piece of paper that said "Don't read me until the plane takes off".

She made her way to the main desk and handed the lady her ticket. "Gate 14. Your flight leaves in 10 minutes."

"Thank you," Vanessa smiled, making her way to the gate. After going through security, she boarded the plane and got comfortable in her first-class seat.

As she felt the plane take off, she opened the piece of paper that was with her ticket.

_If you are reading this, you better be in the sky, Nessa Anne. This was the only flight I could book for you and unfortunately they have to fly to Hawaii before they can fly here. That being said, you have an hour layover at the Maui airport. I'm really sorry, but at least you get to go to that little coffee shop inside there that I know you love. I hope you have a good flight and I'm sitting here waiting anxiously for you to get here. I love you, baby V. Mwah. Xoxoxoxoxo._

She smiled and got comfortable, looking out of the window.

She thought back to a few months ago and how much things have changed. She remembered all the fighting her and Austin had done in the month before the HSM reunion. He had come home from New York after being away for six months. She had made the effort to go and see him, yet he never came to Los Angeles to see her. Ashley had been busy with her boyfriend and she missed having a best friend around constantly. Not a day went by when she didn't think about Zac, but she knew she had broken his heart by going out with Josh so quickly after their break up. She regretted it, but knew she couldn't go back and change it. When she found out that Zac was going to be coming to the HSM reunion, she knew what she had to do. When Austin came home, she was going to break up with him and try to find a way to make it up to Zac.

The morning of the reunion, Austin came over and found her sitting on her bed with a big box of stuff, crying. He saw that the box was full of Zac's things, memorabilia from the HSM movies and a lot of pictures of her and Zac. She was holding her kuuipo ring and sobbing and she could remember Austin getting really angry and they were in the middle of a heated argument when Ashley and Monique arrived. They put the conversation on hold and Austin stormed downstairs to open the door. Vanessa fixed her make up and safely put the lid on the box labeled "Kuuipo."

She went downstairs and saw Austin sitting on the couch and Ashley and Mo in the kitchen. She motioned for them to come upstairs and they followed her, noticing that she had been crying.

"Nessa, what's wrong?" Ashley asked, hugging her tightly.

Vanessa broke down in sobs, as Monique rubbed her back.

"I miss Zac," she cried, shaking violently. "I messed up big time and he hates me and I need him."

Ashley looked up at Monique with wide eyes. They had both seen the changes in Zac and Vanessa since the break up and were both secretly praying for them to get back together or at least be friends again.

"Calm down, Nessa. Just breath." Monique said, as Vanessa started to hyperventilate.

Vanessa reached over and opened the box, letting them see inside. "A-Austin came in when I was….was looking through all of this. I want to b-break up with him. I was waiting for him to get back from New York so I could, but now I don't have time before Zac gets here. I miss my best friend," she said between tears.

Monique looked through the box and saw how many memories the simple cardboard box box held.

"He will be here in a couple of hours, sweetie. Why don't you talk to him about it when he gets here?" Monique asked.

Vanessa nodded, trying to calm down the sobs escaping her lips.

Ashley rubbed her back, and rocked her side to side softly.

When everyone had arrived besides Zac, she and Austin walked into the kitchen. She was going to try to talk to him and break up, but before she could, she heard a familiar voice in the living room. She ran in and saw Dylan and Zac.

Hugging Zac for the first time in almost three years made her heart break. She never wanted to leave the comfort of his very muscular arms. For the first time in three years, she felt safe. That was quickly wiped away as she heard Austin come into the room.

They all began to watch movies and chat, but Vanessa couldn't stop thinking about a blue-eyed boy sitting next to her on the floor.

When she walked into the kitchen and Austin followed her, she wanted to confront him about being an asshole to Zac and Dylan. Before she had the chance, he immediately brought up her feelings for Zac. She couldn't remember what the conversation continued as, but when she heard Austin say "It's over," she felt like fireworks and confetti were going off in her head. "That was easier than I thought it would be," she thought to herself.

….. … …

The conversation between her and Zac the night after they arrived in San Luis Obispo was not an easy one. They discussed all the pain they caused each other, what they wanted in terms of a relationship, how much they had missed each other, and what they had been doing the past three years. The most important part of the conversation came at the end when they both looked into each others eyes and said "I love you."

She woke up when the pilot announced their arrival. She didn't remember falling asleep, but she was guessing it came shortly after remembering the way her and her boyfriend got back together. Wanting to get some coffee, she quickly made her way off the plane. Expecting her bags to be moved for her due to the layover, she used the bathroom before making her way to the coffee shop. She looked at her phone as she got closer to the coffee shop to see if she had any messages from Zac. Seeing she didn't have any messages, she looked up. When she did, she gasped loudly and covered her mouth.

Standing a few yards in front of her, with two suitcases by his feet, was a man in his mid twenties with skinny jeans, vans, a t-shirt, and a beanie on. His bright blue eyes sparkled as a wide grin spread across his face.

"Happy Valentine's Day, baby." he said as tears fell from her eyes. She squealed, running to him and into his open arms. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, burying his face into her neck. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist, holding her close with her feet dangling in the air.

She pulled back, smiling widely with tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. She placed her hands on his cheeks, looking into his bright blue eyes before connecting their lips in an earth-shattering kiss. Mid-kiss, he placed her back on the ground. Due to the shift in height, she moved her hands down to his chest, resting them against his pectoral muscles, never breaking the kiss. He brought his large, warm hands up to rest on her cheeks as he kissed her passionately.

When they broke apart, she couldn't stop smiling.

"I don't understand," she said, looking up at him.

"I finished early and was done two days ago, but I wanted to surprise you for Valentine's Day since you wouldn't be expecting it. I knew you had plans with Dylan for last night so when I found out I was done early, I stayed in New York and got a flight to here that happened to land about an hour before you."

"We are staying here?" she asked, trying to process everything he was saying, still in shock a little bit.

He nodded, smiling. "Just you and me and a week in Maui."

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him again. "I can't believe this. You are amazing."

He smiled and kissed her lips lightly. "Ready to go to the hotel?"

She nodded. He grabbed their bags and held open his free hand. She quickly took it, smiling, and entwined their fingers together, making their way to the hotel they shared on their previous Maui vacations.

She looked at him, smiling as they walked.

"What?" he asked, smiling down at her.

"Nothing, I just love you."

"I love you too," he smiled, pecking her lips.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey guys, if you want updates on the story like if I'm currently writing or if I need your guys help with the story or you want to contact me easily, etc. then follow my twitter! It is EfronLove101887 **

**A lot happens in this chapter. Please review if you like it and feel free to leave any ideas for future chapters! **

Placing their bags on the bed, Zac looked around the hotel room. Vanessa opened the doors, leading out to the balcony and took in the amazing view as the sun rose over the Maui waters. She felt two strong arms wrap around her waist, so she spun around, facing him.

She wrapped her arms around his torso, hugging him tightly. They stood sideways, looking out onto the ocean as they stood wrapped in each other's arms. She looked up at him and smiled.

"I don't know what to say," she started. "I went to bed sad because I wouldn't get to see you today and now here I am standing with you in my favorite place in the world. I just can't believe you are here. I've missed you so much."

He smiled at her, rubbing her lower back softly. "I've missed you too. I'm glad to see I haven't lost my skill of surprising you."

"So who knew about this master plan of yours?"

"Your parents. I had to tell them that you weren't being kidnapped and ask them to pick up Shadow. My parents, so mom wouldn't think I disappeared. And Dylan because I had to ask him to make sure you stayed at your place, not his and that he was gone early enough that you could leave and lock up."

"So he didn't have to go to breakfast with mom in San Luis Obispo?"

"Nope. But apparently he is a sucker for the puppy-dog eyes, too."

Vanessa giggled, burying her face in his sculpted chest. They stood there, holding each other tightly, thankful to be back in each other's arms.

After a few minutes, Vanessa looked up at Zac, smiling.

"What?" he asked her, placing a curl behind her eyes, looking into her deep mocha eyes.

"Can we go paddle boarding?" she asked, with excitement written all over her features.

He chuckled at her, "If that's what you want to do, then yes. But only if you give skim boarding another try after."

"Zacccc! Last time I tried I feel on my ass in Turks and Caicos and everyone around the world got to see it thanks to paparazzi."

"Pleeease Ness. It's fun once you get the hang of it. Plus, I booked a ticket to Austin, Texas as well as to here so the chances of paparazzi seeing us are slim, baby."

She gave him a glare, but the smile on her face made it obvious that she was just joking. "I hate you, Efron."

His blue eyes sparkled as his pink lips formed a wide smile, revealing his perfect teeth. "Love you too, Hudgens."

She made a funny face at him before skipping into their room to change into her bikini. She started singing and dancing around to the song that was stuck in her head.

"Bubble butt, bubble bubble bubble butt" she sang, full of energy.

He chuckled at her, while leaning against the doorframe.

"Are you laughing at me, Zachary David?" she asked, stopping and putting her hands on her hips.

His closemouthed smiled grew wider as his tongue darted between them, moistening them slightly, not taking his eyes off of her.

He shook his head before saying with all seriousness, "I just missed have my giggly and silly girlfriend around."

She smiled as she started to undress to change into her bikini. He walked behind her to get to his clothes just as she was slipping on her bikini bottoms. He said in her ear huskily as he walked by, "….and her bubble butt."

She finished pulling up the bathing suit bottoms and winked at him, smiling. They got ready and went down to the little hut on the beach. They got two paddleboards and oars and made their way out into the water.

Once they got out to calm waters, they stood up on the boards and began to paddle around. The happy couple stayed into the water for about thirty minutes before bringing the paddleboards back to the hut. Zac grabbed his skim board and looked at her with a cute, lopsided grin.

She looked at him with puppy dog eyes. "You go do it for a little while I lay out and then I will come fall down on my ass."

He rolled his eyes playfully and leaned down, giving her a quick kiss before running towards the water, skim board in tow.

She sat back in her lounge chair on the white sand and watched her boyfriend run towards the water like a little boy. She smiled as her mind began to wonder.

_I'm so lucky to have him. I can't believe I made it three years without him in my life. So what if we broke up? Deep down, I think I knew that fate would bring us back together again. No matter what happens, I won't let Zac out of my life again. He will always be my best friend. No one understands me like he does and I'm the only person in the world who truly knows everything about him, which I couldn't be more thankful for. I love the way his back muscles flex as he holds his arms out for balance on the skim board. What the hell, Vanessa? Who are you kidding? You love everything about him. The way he can look into your eyes when you're in a crowded room and he is silently telling you that he loves you. And the way that you feel safe when his arms are around you or when he is holding your hand. Hell, you feel safe when you can at least see him. You love the way he looks when he first wakes up and looks at you with those blue eyes. You love the way his hands feel on you, sending a spark throughout both of your bodies. You love the way his lips feel when they touch you, whether it be on your hand, lips, body…You love the way he treats his family and his friends. You love that he is such a passionate person and puts everything he has into every aspect of his life. You love his sexy body, but you also loved him when he was the awkward teenager with a gap in his teeth. You love the way you can share anything and everything with him and you know that he would never judge you or think differently about you because of it. You love the way he blushes when someone brings you into a conversation. You love the way he approaches his career and handles all the hurdles that come with his fame. You love that he surprises you still and you love that he is a hopeless romantic like you, who wants to plan things like this trip. You love that feeling you get when you wake up in his arms. You love that he doesn't put the cap on the toothpaste when he is done, but always put his toothbrush back in the holder. You love that he puts down the toilet seat after himself, but isn't afraid to go to the bathroom in front of you. You loved that you were each other's firsts loves and lovers and you hope that you will be each other's last. You love Zachary Efron and every single thing about him._

She was so deep in thought, she didn't realize that her boyfriend was standing at the bottom of her lounge chair until he tickled her foot softly.

"What's going on in that gorgeous head of yours?" he asked, tilting his head to the side slightly.

"Just how much I love you," she smiled, lifting her foot to poke his abdomen with her toe. He grabbed her foot, tickling it as she began to giggle loudly.

He placed her foot back down and moved to her side before leaning over her, placing one hand beside her head for support. "Wanna know what I was thinking while I was skim boarding?" he asked as she reached up and ran her hands through his hair.

"That you love me?" she asked.

He nodded, smiling. "That…..and that it's time for Nessa Anne to skim board with me."

She couldn't resist his smile or begging eyes anymore. "Fine, but if I break a bone-"

"I will nurse you back to health," he smiled, finishing her sentence as she stood up and intertwined their hands, walking to the water.

That evening, they were in their hotel room, getting showered and ready for dinner.

Zac was sitting at the table in the kitchen of their suite, on his laptop while Vanessa was in the shower. His phone rang and he picked it up, seeing it was his manager Jason.

"Yo?" he said, putting the phone to his ear.

"Zac, what's up?"

"Just chilling in Maui, ya know, no big deal," he joked.

"Oh yeah, totally forgot that's where you were. How is it? Did you surprise her?"

"Yeah, she totally didn't suspect a thing."

"Awesome. Well I just left the office and we got a couple of new projects sent to Ninjas. Can I send them to you to look over? I know you're on vacation and all, but I think these have some potential."

Zac took a deep breath, rubbing his forehead. "Yeah, that's fine. I'll try to find some time to look over them. Hey, how are things going over in New York? Are they still on track with production?"

"They are way better than they were before you went there. Thanks again for that. I'm hoping you don't have to go back out there."

"Me too. What about the album? When do we record it?"

"As soon as you both can. Whenever is a good time for you and Vanessa. We don't really have a specific time frame."

"Alright, cool."

"Just let me know when you guys decide and I will get in touch with her manager and try to clear some studio time and stuff."

"Sounds good. Do I have anything planned for next week?"

"You have a meeting at Ninja's, but other than that, you are free."

"Awesome, I gotta go, but send me those scripts and paperwork you want me to fill out and I'll send them back as soon as I get a chance."

"Great. I'll send them to your email now. Bye."

They hang up and Zac's MacBook Pro sounds off with the tone meaning a new email is in his inbox. He opens it to see an email from Jason.

"That was fast," he mumbled, opening the email. He started going through the email, filling out the documents that he had to, as president of the production company.

"Whatcha doing?" Vanessa asked, wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and leaning over his sitting body.

"Filling out some paperwork for Ninjas that Jason just sent me." He replied as they watched the screen in silence as he typed some stuff. A minute or two later, he hit the button to save his progress and closed his laptop. He leaned his head back, looking at her.

"You ready?" he asked.

She nodded; leaning down to kiss him while her hands rubbed his chest. She pulled back and smiled. "Let's go, I'm starving. All that skim boarding wore me out," she smiled as he stood up.

She took in his appearance and smiled. He was wearing khaki shorts and white button up dress shirt, rolled to his elbows, and rainbow flip flops with his ray ban wayfarers resting atop his chestnut hair.

He noticed her checking him out and winked. "I told you skim boarding would be fun once you got the hang of it."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she said, sticking out her tongue.

They walked out of the hotel room and down the hallway, holding hands. As they waited for the elevator, he looked down at her and smiled. "You look beautiful, baby." She was wearing a simple white, cotton dress with her black curls flowing down her back.

She smiled shyly and placed a kiss on his lips as thanks. She pulled back, giggling.

"What?" he asked as they stepped into the elevator.

She used her thumb to wipe his lips. "You look good in almost anything baby, but lip-gloss is not one of them."

He chuckled at her and kissed her forehead. When they reached the bottom floor of the hotel, they stepped out, never breaking their hands apart.

"Now will you tell me where we are going?" she asked him.

He shook his head, "Nope. But you will see in a minute."

He led them down a hallway and out of a door, as they reached the beach. She looked at him with a confused look on her face, but followed him as they began walking down the beach. When they passed a pier with a boat waiting at the end of it, Zac looked at her shocked face as they began walking out on the dock.

A middle-aged Hawaiian man stepped off of the boat, "Aloha Zac!"

"Aloha David!" Zac introduced him to Vanessa before they stepped onto the boat. David disappeared to the captain's quarters after untying the boat. Zac carefully pulled Vanessa to the front of the boat with him, where the seating area was. There was a lounge bed with pillows, rose petals, wine, and picnic basket waiting on them. She bit her lip as she sat down, her back resting against the back of the oversized lounge chair and watched as he sat down beside her.

She instantly pulled him in for a passionate kiss, tangling her hands in his hair.

He placed his hand on her hip, holding her close as they continued the loving kiss. When they pulled apart, Vanessa smiled widely. "I don't even know what to say. This is amazing. Thank you."

He smiled as he pecked her lips gently. "You're welcome, baby."

He reached over and opened the picnic basket. "First my dear, we have your favorite." He pulled out a tray of cheese and two wine glasses. She smiled widely, grabbing a piece of cheese. He poured two glasses of her favorite red wine and handed her one as she cuddled up to him. He placed his arm around her as they sipped their wine and looked out at the ocean surrounding them.

"It's so beautiful out here," she said, mesmerized by the beauty of the Pacific Ocean.

He placed a kiss on her head before leaning his head against hers. "I agree."

They sat there cuddled up to each other in a very comfortable and peaceful silence. Zac poured them both another glass as they cruised around in the open waters.

"Ness? Can I ask you a question?"

"Mmhmm," she replied, not taking her head off his shoulder.

"Why did you do Spring Breakers?"

"Why? Did you not like it?" she asked, still not moving her body away from his.

"No, it's not that. Well, I didn't love it, honestly. I thought you did an amazing job and you portrayed the character amazing. You truly did an amazing job, I just wasn't a huge fan of the storyline. But what I meant was, why did you jump into something like that after Journey? With all of the drugs and violence and sex."

"I don't know, honestly. It just felt like the right project to do at the time. It was great working with Selena and Ashley and everyone, but I agree, it was kind of sudden. I think I was ready for people to take me seriously, ya know? I think I was afraid that if I waited too long, I would still be doing stuff for Disney like Ash is. Don't get me wrong, she absolutely loves what she does, but I want to focus on films and stuff. I think I did it because of you, ultimately."

"Me?" he asked confused.

She nodded before continuing. "When I started reading the script, I imagined you sitting there reading it with me. And I found myself thinking the way you do. Harmony was an amazing director and there was an amazing cast. And I knew it would be a big challenge for me, as an actor. I knew that my fans would support me and that if the critics didn't like it, I didn't really care because I was doing it for me."

"I'm proud of you. You know that right? You have overcome so much and have become so comfortable and confident with yourself."

"That's because of you. When I was shy, you brought me out of my shell. And I wore make up everyday until you told me that I didn't need it and you thought I was beautiful without it. And you helped me grow up a lot when we broke up. I had to truly do things on my own and do what made me happy and stop thinking about other people before myself. But that also helped me realize that for me to be truly happy in life, I need you by my side through it all. Because the fame, the fortune, the glamour, the awards, all mean nothing if you aren't there sharing the moments with me."

He squeezed her and placed a kiss on her temple. "I feel the same baby."

"Can I ask you something?" she said, still looking out at the ocean.

"Anything."

"The condom dropping at the premiere….how many women….did you….." she stuttered, trying to figure out how to word the question.

She heard him take a deep breath. "The day before that premiere, I was out with Chris (Reinacher) and Ryan (Rottman). We were leaving Urban Outfitters and I saw you…and Austin kissing at the café next door. The rest of the day I was just moping around and in a shitty mood. So Ryan decided to take me out and "get me laid" to get my mind off of you. He slipped the condom in my pocket before we went into the club that night. I woke up with a hangover the next day and didn't have time to find a different pair of jeans before the premiere. The hangover is why I wore sunglasses on the red carpet and when I pulled my hand out of my jeans to give someone an autograph, the condom from the night before came out….meaning I obviously didn't sleep with anyone. I didn't stop having sex completely, but I wasn't out being a man whore like some tabloids were hinting at."

She nodded against his shoulder, not saying anything. "I'm sorry. If I could go back and do it over, I would have waited for you. You were my first and even though you haven't been my only, I hope you are my last."

She lifted her head to look at him and kissed him softly. "Me too."

He smiled and kissed her again. "My turn," he said. He cast his eyes away from her, a sign to her that he really wanted to ask the question but was afraid of the answer and scared to ask. She squeezed his thigh. "Ask me."

He swallowed and licked his lips. "Do you…._Did you_….love him?"

"Austin?"

Zac nodded, still not looking into her eyes.

"When we first started dating, it was because Ashley set us up. After seeing you at the Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure premiere, I broke up with Josh. I knew that I was just using him to try to fill the void in my heart, but that wasn't fair to me or to him. I had just seen you and it sent everything around me crashing down. I became….depressed…I think. I pulled away from everyone and everything and built this wall around me. After a few months of it, Ashley tricked me by saying me and her were going to lunch, when really Austin showed up to take me to lunch. After a few weeks of hanging out, I was finally coming out of my shell again. I still didn't have a best friend in my life, besides Ash, but somehow it felt like he was filling that void in my heart. I knew that I wasn't in love with him right away and that it would take some time for me to love someone again. About six months after we started dating, I felt like I was beginning to fall in love."

She felt Zac's muscles tense as she said that last statement. She placed her hand on his thigh, trying to get him to relax. She began speaking again. "After about a year of us dating, I had convinced myself that I did love him. But after about a year and half, people began speculating that me and him were going to get married and stuff. And for the first time since you and I….I began thinking about marriage. I thought about marrying him and what I wanted in a husband and the father of my kids, but all I could do was compare him to you and in every comparison he fell short. That made me realize that I would never love someone as much as I loved you. And I also realized that part of me would love you until the day I died. Shortly after I came to that realization, the distance between us didn't strengthen us like it did when you and I were apart. Instead, it created trust issues and we started having arguments. I then realized that I didn't love him like I thought I did and a few weeks before we had the High School Musical reunion at my house, I realized I didn't love him and that I never had. I had only convinced myself of that because you had moved on and I didn't want to be alone and have a broken heart anymore. But by the point I realized that, we were fighting nearly everyday and I knew I wanted to break up with him. But he was in New York filming, so I was waiting for him to come home because I felt that I at least owed it to him to do it face to face."

Zac sat down his empty wine glass as she continued, but not before grabbing his hand and lacing their fingers together. He brought their hands up and kissed her knuckles.

"When I came to the decision to break up with him, I couldn't stop thinking about you. Everything reminded me of you somehow. The morning of the HSM reunion, I was at home alone. I was listening to the radio when "Forever Your Girl" came on. I remember instantly breaking down in tears when I heard it. I began thinking about how we were sitting on the couch in the "Bolton's" living room on the HSM2 set during break when you set it as your ringtone for me. That reminded me of when that radio interviewer in Australia asked what your ringtone was and you said that while squeezing my hand under the table. That reminded me of all our memories in Australia and all over the world. Long story short, I started remembering everything we did together. I went upstairs and went into my closet and grabbed my Zac box. I sat on my bed and looked through it. All the pictures of you and me throughout the years, all the stuff I had that was yours or ours and everything that reminded me of you. Sitting on top, in a black velvet box was my kuuipo ring. I put it on and just looked at it, sobbing. Austin walked in and saw what I was doing and got really pissed off. He pointed to what I had written on the box and said "Kuuipo? What the fuck is that?" and I remember choking out "Sweetheart." It started a really nasty argument and just as I was about to break up with him, Ashley and Mo got there. And after I talked with them, they convinced me that you didn't hate me and that I should talk to you. We never really got that chance though until later that night."

He was quiet for a minute, processing everything she had just told him.

"Vanessa Anne….First of all, I could never and will never hate you. Second of all, my ringtone for you has never changed, no matter how many times I get a new phone. Third, I never moved on. I used my best acting skills in front of the paparazzi, but every night when I was lying in bed alone, I prayed that I would wake up and realize that it had all been a horrible nightmare and that you would have your head on my chest when I opened my eyes. I can't tell you hold many mornings I woke up, holding your pillow to my chest. I knew we both did it because of the extreme distance we would have had to encounter because of work, but at that point, I resented my work because I lost you. That's when I realized I didn't want this career if you weren't there to share it with me. But I found out you were going out with Josh and I can't even put into words how much that hurt. Honestly, it made me feel like you thought our relationship meant nothing. When I visited in Hawaii, he was there and you were friends yet two months after we broke up, you were dating him. It was like a slap in the face. I honestly thought it all meant nothing to you. So at that point, I tried my hardest to move on. I went out, I partied, I went home to SLO, yet nothing and no one could take my mind off you, except for work. So I stuck with it. I never dated anyone because I didn't want you to think our relationship meant nothing to us and also because I didn't want anyone else in my life, romantically. I pulled away from LA and everyone in it. I would talk to my costars, Chris, Ryan, and my family. That was about it. I eventually figured out how to move on, in a way. Not a day went by that I didn't think about you, but I figured out how to go through this crazy life without you by my side. It has been the hardest thing I've ever had to do. When the HSM reunion came about, I agreed, thinking it would be at Ashley's. When I found out that it was at your house, I made Dylan come down to LA so he could go with me.

Somewhere between flying home that previous week and pulling into your driveway, I realized that I couldn't avoid you anymore and that I needed to talk to you. I needed to have you in my life, even if it was just as a friend. I missed you and it killed me everyday. I have loved you since the moment I saw you at the Thunderbirds premiere and I will continue to love you until the day I die. And finally, I want to be the one you walk down the aisle to while wearing a beautiful white dress. I want to be the one to slip a diamond ring on your finger and say "I do." I want to be the one to share my last name with you. I want to be the one who carries you into a hotel room on our honeymoon. And I want to be the father of your cute little sons with curly hair and blue eyes and your precious little daughters with black hair and brown eyes. I want you to be yours until the day I die."

She looked up at him and had tears streaming down her face, matching the ones on his face.

He removed his body from hers, getting up. She looked at him and choked out a sob as he got down on one knee in front of her with the Hawaiian sunset taking place behind him. She looked into his sparkling blue eyes that held emotions of fear, excitement, nervousness, but mostly love as he removed a black velvet square from his pocket and opened it revealing a three-carat halo diamond ring. "Vanessa Anne Hudgens, will you marry me?"

She removed her hand from over her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She nodded with a smile on her face. His body relaxed as a huge smile spread across his face. He pulled her up to her feet and removed the ring from the box. He slid it back into his pocket before taking her left hand.

He chuckled softly when both of their hands began to shake slightly. He slid the ring on her finger and looked into her eyes, smiling.

She connected their lips as he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the ground slightly. She pulled back after a few minutes and looked into his eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too." They shared many more passionate kisses before sitting down on the lounger again, this time with her resting between his legs with her back against her chest. His arms were wrapped around, resting on her stomach as they watched the slow sunset. She lifted her left hand, admiring the huge rock that sat on her ring finger.

"Do you like it, honestly? I remember you seeing it in a magazine and saying it took your breath away."

"Zac, that was like three years when I saw it," she said, amazed that he remembered.

"I know. You still like it right?"

"I love it, baby. It's amazing and gorgeous and it definitely takes my breath away. It's perfect."

He lifted her hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss on it. "I had a different plan to propose tonight, but that was the perfect moment. It just felt….."

"Perfect?" she finished.

"Yeah. Perfect. Plus, I was getting so nervous I was about to throw up. That's why I started with the wine so early," he joked.

She giggled and laced their hands together, resting on her stomach. "Do you really think our kids will look like you said? You've thought about it?"

"Of course I have. I used to think about it all the time. That's the image that popped into my mind all those years ago when Corbin asked how many kids I wanted when we did that Unscripted interview. But I didn't really start to picture it until you were in the hospital and that opportunity was taken from us before we realized we had it. We weren't ready and we still aren't, but I still think about it, ya know? And when the time is right, I can't wait to share that experience with you."

She looked at him, smiling. "I feel the same way." Her stomach growled loudly, making them both laugh. He reached over into the picnic basket and pulled out an insulated container. "What's that?" she wondered out loud. He opened it, revealing their favorite sushi.

"Yummmm!" she said, clapping excitedly. She moved off of his lap and got their plates ready, giving them both a bottle of water to have with the sushi. They ate their sushi as the lights on the boat came on as nightfall set in.

When they finished their sushi, they cuddled up to each other under a blanket with chocolate covered strawberries and champagne. She looked up at him and rested her left hand on his chest. "Thank you, Zac. This has been the greatest day of my entire life. You are amazing."

He smiled kissed her forehead. "Thank you for saying yes and making me the happiest man in the world." They shared more kisses and cuddles before the boat was pulled back up to the dock. They got off and thanked David before walking hand in hand back to the hotel.

When they reached the hotel room, Zac used the key to unlock the door. They walked into the bedroom and Vanessa gasped when she saw candles lit all around the dark room, with the balcony doors open letting the sound of the crashing waves in. The only light in the room was the candles and the moonlight reflecting off the waves.

-Rated M-

He closed the double doors of the bedroom, closing them into their romantic bedroom. He wrapped his arms around her from behind as she looked around in disbelief. She turned around in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. She ran her hands through his hair as she connected their lips. The kiss quickly grew more passionate as she his hands moved down rest on her butt, holding her close. Her hands moved down his chest, unbuttoning his dress shirt and pushing it off his shoulders. She didn't waste anytime before unbuttoning his shorts, letting them fall to the ground. He pulled away for a second and lifted her up, looking into her eyes as he placed her on the bed with her head on the pillows. He slid down her body until he got to her thighs. He grabbed them hem of her dress, pulling it slowly up her body, kissing her soft skin as he went. He lifted it over her head when he reached that point. Tossing it on the floor, he looked into her eyes and kissed her lovingly. Her hands ran along his back, rubbing his shoulder blades before making their way down his spine, to the top of his gray Calvin Klein boxer briefs. She slid her hand inside, squeezing his butt softly, pulling him against her.

A low groan was heard from inside his chest as his erection pressed into her. She squeezed his butt playfully before whispering, "Bubble butt." He smiled widely, flipping them over so she was straddling him. He squeezed her butt, while winking. He sat up, their chest touching as he hands were splayed across her back. They got lost in each other's eyes as their lips quickly reconnected. He expertly unhooked her bra with one hand and slid it off of her, not breaking their kiss. When air was a necessity, they pulled apart. She pushed his shoulders softly, urging him to lay back down. When he did, she leaned down and kissed his neck softly, leaving kisses as she made her way down his body. She kissed placed a kiss on his Adam's apple before sucking lightly on the pulse throbbing his neck. Her name escaped his lips as his hips bucked up to meet hers. Getting the message, she moved down, trailing kisses down his sternum, to his happy trail and to the top of his boxer-briefs. She sat up and slipped her fingers into the band of them before carefully pulling them down his legs, springing his erection free. She tossed them onto the floor and made her way back up his body. He flipped them back over carefully and made sure all of his weight wasn't resting on her petite frame.

He placed a kiss on her butterfly tattoo, knowing that was the spot that drove her crazy. He sucked on the skin lightly for a moment, hearing her moan his name and arch her back slightly. He kissed down her chest before kissing her breasts. After giving them attention, he kissed his way down her toned stomach before placing a line of kisses along the top of her underwear, making her moan softly. He pulled back and slipped them off of her. He made his way back up her body and went to reach to the nightstand.

"Zac…" she said, stopping him.

He looked into her eyes, "What baby?"

"Don't….I want to feel you. All of you."

"Are you sure?" he asked, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear.

She nodded. "Positive."

He leaned down and kissed her passionately. "I love you," he said sensually, looking into her eyes.

"I love you too, Zac." She replied just before he entered her, making a sound erupt from them both. As their bodies began moving together perfectly, Zac gradually let his body weight onto her. He connected their hands above her head and they looked into each other's eyes.

When they both reached their peaks of ecstasy together, Zac's body went limp against hers. He kissed her softly before removing himself from within her and rolled over onto his back, breathless. He moved his left arm up, allowing her to cuddle up to his side, resting her head on his chest. She pulled the sheet over their bodies as her arm draped across his waist.

He kissed the top of her head, feeling drowsiness overtaking his body. "Happy Valentine's Day, baby. I love you."

She leaned up and placed a kiss on his lips before laying her head back down on his chest. "Happy Valentine's Day. I love you too, baby."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I'm not too happy with this chapter, but I hope you guys like it. Happy Reading **

When Zac and Vanessa got off the plane at LAX a week later, they were thankful to see that there was minimal paparazzi around due to the fact that it was nearly one am. The newly engaged couple had just spent the best week of their lives in Hawaii and was on top of the world.

Vanessa kept her left hand in the pocket of Zac's hoodie she was wearing, hiding the ring from the paparazzi outside, as he kept a protective arm around her.

They had agreed to try to keep the engagement a secret until they could tell their family and friends. They reached Zac's car that was waiting on them, courtesy of Ashley and Zac opened the passenger door for her, letting her climb in before he made his way to the driver's seat. He made his way through LA before pulling up to Vanessa's Studio City home. They got out and they made their way inside.

The next couple of days were spent with Zac and Vanessa moving all of Zac's things to Vanessa's house.

Vanessa threw the last empty box into the recycling bin and looked around at _their_ living room that now had pictures of both their families. She stepped into the media/ theater room to see the entertainment center that held both of their awards now. She walked downstairs to try to find him.

"Baby?"

"Damn clothes," she heard him mumble. She walked into the laundry room downstairs to see him looking at the buttons on the washing machine with a confused look on his face.

"What are you doing, baby?" she asked, seeing the floor covered in different piles of dirty clothes.

He turned around with a cute pout on his face. "I was trying to surprise you and do some laundry, but I don't exactly know how to work this one."

She giggled softly at him and walked over, pressing a button and the machine started going. She turned around to see him looking at her in astonishment.

She leaned on her tip toes and kissed him softly. "Thank you for helping."

He smiled and picked her up, sitting her on top of the washing machine. She giggled and wrapped her legs around his waist. "What are you doing?" she asked, looking at him with raised eyebrows.

"This," he replied, leaning in and kissing her.

"mmm," she replied, pulling away. "We can't baby. Our parents and everyone will be here soon. I have to get ready."

He kissed her neck softly. "But I just can't get enough of you," he whined, kissing her sweet spot.

She gasped, "Hey daddy!" Zac froze and instantly let go of her, stepping away from her. She giggled loudly seeing the scared look on his face. She jumped off of the washing machine and ran out of the laundry room.

He scoffed loudly and went after her. "Vanessa Anne, that was not nice!" he quickly caught up with her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and spinning her around as she giggled like crazy. He carefully laid her down on the couch and started tickling her.

"Zac! No! Please! Baby stopppp!" she begged between giggles as she squirmed all over the couch.

"Nope. Need kisses first." he said, smiling.

"Okay! Okay!" she leaned up, kissing him passionately. He pulled back and smiled. "Thank you. You are free to go." He said with a mock serious face and walked off towards the kitchen.

She smacked his butt as she walked by, winking at him as she climbed the stairs. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat down on the couch as Shadow jumped into his lap.

Twenty minutes later, Vanessa came downstairs with a cute mid-thigh length sundress, sandals, and her hair in their natural curls.

"How does this look?" she asked.

He looked away from the baseball game that was on tv and smiled at her. "You look gorgeous, baby. Should I be dressed up more?"

She looked at him in his dark wash skinny jeans and black v-neck tshirt. "No baby, you look sexy." She leaned down and kissed him. She took off her engagement ring and handed it to Zac.

He looked at her with a confused and hurt look on his face. "What are you doing?"

"Calm down, baby. They can't see the ring until we announce it. Will you hold it for me until then?" she asked, handing it to him. He nodded, smiling in relief and slid it into his front pocket.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. She opened the door to see Gina and Starla standing there with David and Greg behind them.

"Hey guys! Come on in!" she let them all in and closed the door. They followed her to the kitchen. Gina hugged her tightly, "How was Hawaii, sweet heart?"

"It was amazing, Mama. We had a blast." Zac walked in and smiled, seeing their parents. He hugged Gina next as she gushed about how good it was to see him. Starla hugged Vanessa, "Hey there my sweet girl, it's go good to see you."

Vanessa smiled, hugging her back. "You too, Mom. I missed you guys," she said, hugging David.

Zac then hugged Starla, "Hey mama," he said happily, kissing her cheek before hugging David.

"Hey daddy!" Vanessa said, hugging him before he hugged Zac. "Hello Baby V, hello Zac. Good to see you."

"You too, Greg," Zac smiled. "Where are Dyl and Stell?" he asked, not seeing them.

"They ran to the store. We forgot to grab the beer so he had to go buy some," David explained.

Zac and Vanessa nodded in understanding. Zac walked to the sliding doors that separated the patio outside from the spacious living room. He pushed the doors open, making it a big open space. They all moved outside and chatted as music played through outside stereo system.

A few minutes later, they all looked inside the house as they heard Stella screaming, "I'm going to kill you, Dylan Efron!"

She said hello to everyone before sitting down. "What happened, Stella?" Vanessa asked.

"This really cute guy was flirting with me at the store and asked if me and Dylan were dating. Of course I said no so then when he asked for my phone number, Dylan pulled the big brother card and scared him away!"

Greg and Zac high fived each other, jokingly and cheered while the woman gave them joking glares.

Dylan came out and received a bunch of amused looks. "Stella, don't be mad at me! He was a prick and I was just protecting you!"

She rolled her eyes at him. He hugged Zac before pulling Vanessa to her feet and hugging her tightly.

He sat down and before long Ashley and Chris Reinacher, Zac's best friend since first grade, had arrived. They all hung out, eating pizza, and catching up.

Vanessa and Zac were talking in the kitchen quietly, when everyone was still outside.

"You ready?" Zac asked, kissing her softly.

She nodded, smiling big as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. He slid it back on her finger and they walked outside, Zac had his arm around her shoulder and she had her left hand resting in his back pocket of his jeans.

Zac cleared his throat, "Dear family and friends of ours, we have something to tell you guys."

He looked down at Vanessa as she smiled up at him.

Everyone looked at them with waiting looks on their faces.

"Come on guys, spill! You're killing us here!" Ashley said.

"Oh my god, you're aliens. That's what it is, isn't it?" Dylan joked, earning a slap on the back of the head by Starla.

They all chuckled before Zac and Vanessa both said excitedly, "We're engaged!"

Ashley and Stella both started squealing as Starla instantly teared up, as did Gina. Dylan cheered excitedly as David and Greg just smiled.

Dylan instantly hugged Vanessa tightly, picking her tiny frame off the ground. "SISTER IN LAW!" he said, making everyone laugh loudly. He then hugged Zac, "Congrats, Zman. This is AWESOME!"

Stella then hugged Vanessa and then Zac, clearly excited. Ashley pulled them both in for a hug at the same time. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, that ring is AMAZING!"

Their parents then hugged them while Vanessa eyes Greg suspiciously. "You don't seem surprised….." she said, looking at him questioningly.

He just shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "You don't think he would propose without asking me and your mother for permission do you? We knew he was going to, we just didn't know when."

Vanessa looked up at Zac. "You asked for permission? But last time you were home was like a month ago…when did you ask?"

He blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck. "The first time was three years ago before I flew out to Hawaii to meet you for Thanksgiving. Obviously, life screwed that plan up for me. But I had their blessing then for the future. So when the time came for me to buy a ring a few days before Christmas, I took them out to breakfast and asked for permission again."

She smiled with tears in her eyes and kissed him lovingly. The families continued celebrating the engagement well into the night before everyone began to leave. Zac's parents were staying at his old house that he had furnished for them for visits.

Zac fell back onto the couch and closed his eyes, yawning. Vanessa closed the doors of the patio and cleaned up the kitchen before walking into the living room. She turned on the tv and sat down on the couch.

He opened one eye, looking at her. "Why are you alllllll the way over there? I want some snuggles," he said in a baby voice. She giggled at him and opened her arms, smiling at him. He scooted over to her and rested his head against her chest as she rested back against the pillows.

She ran her hands through his hair and noticed he was warm. "Baby, are you feeling okay? You're forehead is burning up."

He shook his head and buried his face in her chest, between her breasts. She kissed the top of his head, knowing he wasn't doing it in a sexual manner, but that it was because he truly didn't feel good.

When Zac was working and got sick, he refused to take down time. He was always very hard working and professional and just worked through it. However, when he wasn't working and got sick, he was like a little kid all over again. Vanessa always thought it was the cutest thing ever.

"What hurts baby?" she asked, rubbing his back softly.

"My head feels like it's about to explode and my stomach feels all funky and everything just aches." He said cutely, not moving his head off her chest.

"What can I do to make it better?"

"Snuggles."

"How about we go snuggle in bed since it's getting late?" she asked, as he looked up at her. She could tell by the redness of his ears and nose and the dullness of his blue eyes that he wasn't feeling good. He nodded and got off of her, standing up. She turned off the tv as he locked the doors and turned off the lights.

They walked upstairs as Shadow followed closely behind them. Shadow laid in her dog bed in the corner of the room as Vanessa began washing her face.

Zac pulled off his shirt before he ran into the bathroom, making it just in time as he threw up, hovering over the toilet.

Vanessa looked at him with sympathy and rubbed his muscular back comfortingly.

When he was done, he flushed and sighed before brushing his teeth. "Baby, you look pale," she told him, moving some of his hair out of his eyes. "Go lay down and I'll be right there for snuggles, okay?" she said, rubbing his cheek.

He nodded and smiled weakly, kissing her forehead before walking into the bedroom. She brushed her teeth as well and walked into the room. She saw him moving the decorative pillows off the bed and pulling the covers back.

She pulled off her dress and threw it into the clothes bin, followed by her strapless bra as she pulled one of his t-shirts over on, which fell just below her waistline. He turned off the TV and laid down before realizing he still had his jeans on.

"Fuck," he mumbled. She walked over to his side and motioned for him to stay still. She unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down his muscular legs, tossing them in the clothes bin as well.

"Thanks baby," he smiled. She turned off the lights before climbing in bed beside him and pulling the covers up to their waists. She opened her arms and he instantly cuddled up to her, resting his head on her shoulder and burying his face into the crook of her neck.

He placed a soft kiss on her neck before nuzzling his nose against her soft skin. She rubbed his back soothingly as she watched the movie.

"You give the best snuggles," he said cutely, lifting his head slightly.

She giggled and placed kisses all over his face, except on his lips because they didn't want her to get sick.

"Go to sleep baby, I promise I will keep giving you snuggles."

He smiled and kissed her cheek before laying his head back down. She turned off the tv as she felt his breath even out a few minutes later, meaning he was asleep. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as she fell asleep, still sharing snuggles.

Zac woke up the next morning when his phone started ringing loudly. He groaned, not moving from the position he fell asleep in. Vanessa reached over and picked it up.

"Hello?" she asked, sleepily.

"Hey sweetie, it's me." Starla said on the other end.

Vanessa yawned as she responded, "Hey mom."

"Are you okay? You sound tired. It's nearly noon. You aren't sick, are you?"

"Yeah. Zac wasn't feeling well when we fell asleep and apparently I've caught whatever he has because we have been rotating throwing up every hour through out the night."

Vanessa missed whatever came out of Starla's mouth next as she jumped up and ran to the bathroom. Zac grabbed the phone that was dropped on the pillow.

"Mom?" he croaked out.

"Yeah, it's me, sweetheart. Do you want me to come over?"

"I'm sick," he whined as he cuddled back up to Vanessa when she returned to bed.

"I will be right there okay?" she said calmly.

"Love you mama," he said before hanging up the phone and wrapping his arms around Vanessa. "Snuggles made my baby V sick. I'm sowy," he said cutely.

She giggled weakly and buried her head in his chest as he raked his fingers through her hair.

"You sound funny," she said, through her own stuffy nose.

"Hey meanie head, you sound funny too!" he said, kissing the top of her head.

They fell back asleep, cuddled up to each other.

Starla used her spare key to unlock the front door. Closing it back quietly, she called out for them.

"Zachary? Vanessa?" she said, looking around.

Zac walked out of the bathroom after hearing his mom call his name. He mustered up all his strength and walked to the top of the stairs. "Up here, mom."

Seeing his weak and pale body, she walked up the stairs. She kissed his forehead, "Back to bed you go, you are burning up!" she said, motioning for him to walk into the bedroom.

He followed her orders and walked back into the bedroom, crawling into bed. Feeling the bed shift, Vanessa woke up and looked around.

"Hey mom," she smiled softly at her as Zac pulled her to his chest once again.

"Hey there sweetheart, how ya feeling?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed, feeling her forehead.

"Like your son got me sick," she said, poking Zac's chest jokingly.

"I'm stopped by the store on the way over and got some medicine for you both and things to make some homemade chicken noodle soup. How does that sound?" Starla asked, rubbing Vanessa's back softly.

"Heavenly," Vanessa smiled, weakly. "Do you want some help?"

"Absolutely not. You two stay in bed, rest up, and I will wake you both when it is ready. Understand?"

Zac and Vanessa both nodded, already almost back to sleep. Starla kissed both of their foreheads and closed their bedroom door, taking Shadow downstairs with her.

Zac and Vanessa fell asleep as Mama Efron went downstairs and began to make her famous chicken noodle soup.


	15. Chapter 15

Zac opened the door of the office building as he left, looking around to see if any paparazzi were around. Much to his dismay, they seemed to be waiting on him as they instantly began flashing cameras. He pulled the beanie on and made his way to his Audi that was parked a few spots away.

He yawned and took the final gulp of his black coffee an assistant had given to him when he arrived at the early morning meeting nearly two hours ago. He pulled the beanie off and tossed it into his passenger seat. He felt his phone vibrate in the pocket of his skinny jeans and before putting his car in reverse; he lifted his hips, allowing him to slide his hand into the pocket, grabbing the iPhone.

Seeing the brown haired beauty on his phone, he smiled, sliding it open to accept the call.

"Hey gorgeous," he said charmingly.

He heard a sweet giggle in reply and could tell she had just woken up.

"I woke up and you weren't here," she said. He could see the cute pout that would no doubt be on her face as the words escaped her sweet lips.

"I know, silly girl. I woke you up when I left. I had a meeting for Ninjas, remember?" he said, backing out of his parking spot carefully.

"I don't remember you waking me up. I didn't interrupt your meeting did I?"

"No, I just got out. And I gave you a kiss and told you good morning and you said it back. You instantly fell back asleep though. I guess I really wore you out last night, huh?" he joked, a smile on his face.

"Zachary David!" she scolded him, before conceding, "Yes, you did. But I certainly didn't mind."

"Me either, baby girl. Do you want to grab some breakfast at Paty's?"

"Mmmm, yes please!" she said, jumping up and going to her closet.

He chuckled at her excitement as he used his turn signal, changing lanes on the freeway. "I will be there in ten minutes. Can you be ready by then?"

"Yep. See you soon. Love you!"

"Love you too, Ness." He hung up the phone and listened to the radio, singing along as he drove home.

Vanessa heard his Audi pull into the garage almost exactly ten minutes later. She bounced down the stairs happily and grabbed her purse before opening to door to go out into the garage. She walked around the hood of his car and slid into the passenger seat, placing her purse in the floor. He looked over at her, a wide smile on his face as she got in.

Before he could put the car in reverse, she leaned over the center console and placed a hand on his left cheek and connected their lips. The loving kiss quickly deepened as he placed his left hand on her hip. Vanessa pulled back moments later and placed a quick kiss on his lips before sitting down in her seat and pulling on her seatbelt.

He opened the garage door, backing out before closing it again. Once he started driving again, he placed his hand on Vanessa's jean clad thigh, squeezing slightly.

"How was your meeting?" she asked, looking over at him as she rested her hand on top of his.

"Good. Just met with a couple of the partners to talk about potential scripts that me and Jason picked out."

"Are you excited for tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm stoked. I haven't been to the Malibu beach house in forever."

Zac and Vanessa along with the HSM cast, Ryan Rottman, Brittany Snow, Laura New, Chris Reinacher, Bubba Lewis, Miley Cyrus, and some others were going to the beach house in Malibu that Ashley rented for everyone for the weekend.

"Party tiimmmeeee," Vanessa sang happily, making Zac laugh. He pulled into Paty's and they went inside.

That night, Zac pulled Vanessa's Audi up to the beach house. He pressed the button, putting the top of the convertible back up. They got out and walked hand in hand inside the house. When they walked inside, everyone looked up and all the girls squealed various excitements. "Let's see that rock, missy!" Brittany said, pulling Vanessa to where all the girls were seated.

Zac shook his head, laughing and made his way to find all the guys.

"How did he do it?!" Miley asked excitedly.

Vanessa smiled happily and told the girls the entire story. She finished just as the guys walked in.

"Celebratory shots!" Ryan said after he and the rest of the guys learned the story from Zac outside.

Everyone moved towards the kitchen and Ryan poured shots for everyone.

He held his shot glass up in the air and everyone followed suit, waiting for Ryan's infamous toast.

He smiled widely before saying: ""Here's to those who wish us well

And those that don't can go to hell."

They all cheered and downed the shot.

"Let's go to the beach, beach, let's go get away!" Ashley sang, going towards the back door of the house. Everyone followed along, making their way to the back porch. Some of them continued and went into the water, while others stopped and sat on the patio.

Vanessa and Ashley, along with Monique and Laura were in the water while the rest of them sat on the patio. A guy walked by that Ryan recognized and he called him up to the patio. Ryan introduced him to everyone sitting on the patio.

Miley got up and went into the water to join the other girls. The guy, Brad, watched and saw her joining the other girls.

"Daaaamnn! Who is that girl in the black bikini?" Brad asked.

Zac raised his eyebrows, but didn't say anything as he looked at the guy.

"Vanessa," Corbin replied, nonchalantly.

Ryan motioned for the guy not to say anything. "Don't even try, dude. Trust me." Ryan said.

Brad laughed. "Oh, I get it. She's with you? Come on man, share! How is she? I bet she is amazing. She looks like she would be good in bed. I mean, damn! Look at that ass!"

The guys, minus Brad, looked at Zac as the guy sat there talking about Vanessa.

Chris coughed, trying to stop from laughing at the guy.

Zac decided to get up before he caused any trouble. He finished his beer and stood up, walking down to the beach. As he got closer to the shoreline, Vanessa ran out of the water and giggled loudly, jumping into his arms and wrapping her arms and legs around him.

"Oh shit!" Brad said. "He is with her?!"

Ryan slapped his back with a smile on his face, "He is her fiancée, dude."

Brad's eyes got wide. "Fiancée?! Why didn't anyone stop me?! Did you see his muscles?! He is gonna kick my ass!"

Bubba laughed loudly. "Nah man, just don't say anything else. He's really chill, unless you start to mess with V."

Brad nodded, still looking scared and gulped a sip of the beer Ryan handed him.

Zac's phone rang, which was sitting beside Corbin, but he didn't answer it. When it stopped ringing, Vanessa's phone started ringing. Corbin saw that both calls were Dylan, so he picked it up.

"Dylan? What's up, man? It's Corbin."

When Corbin didn't get a witty response from Dylan, he immediately thought something was wrong. "Dylan? You there? What's going on?"

"Hey Corbin. Do you know where Zac is? I'm at his house and he isn't here. He wouldn't answer his phone. Damn, I'm sorry, I could have sworn I called Nessa's phone."

"You did, they are here with me. We are at the beach house in Malibu. Is everything okay?"

"Um…yeah. I just needed to talk to my brother."

"Just come here, man. We're all just hanging out. He is down in the water right now."

"Okay, I'll be there in twenty."

"Sweet. Later dude." Corbin hung up the phone, wondering what was going on with Dylan.

The rest of the group went down to the water, joining the girls and Zac.

Zac dunked Corbin, making his curly hair go flat on his head, making everyone laugh. Corbin got him back by dunking him in a big wave. Everyone continued to play around in the water.

Vanessa got out a little bit later, to get something to drink. As she walked into the house, she jumped when she saw the front door opening.

"Dyl?!" she said, shocked to see him.

He gave a weak smile and she noticed his red eyes that had recently harbored tears.

She put down her glass and rushed to him. "Dyl, what's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

He shook his head, hugging her tight. "Hey sis-in-law," he said, squeezing her tightly.

"Hi bro-in-law. You're worrying me, Dylan. Are mom and David okay? Grandma Anne?"

He pulled back and she could see him swallow hard, moving his Adam's apple. "They are all fine. They think I'm at school. I um…I need to talk to Zac so I drove down here, but when he wasn't at home I called him and when he didn't answer I called you, but Corbin answered and told me to come here. I hope that's okay."

"Of course it is. Hang tight, I'll go get Zac, okay?"

He nodded and sat down on the couch. She made her way out to the patio and down towards the water. Zac looked up and saw her worried face and quickly swam into shore. He walked to her, putting a hand on her hip. "Ness, what's wrong?"

"Dylan's here," she said worried, "he said he needs you."

Zac blinked, confused and grabbed her hand as they walked back to the house. He walked in and saw Dylan drinking a beer quickly.

"Dylan, what's up?" Zac asked, concern evident all over his face. Dylan looked at Zac quietly and Vanessa quickly saw this was clearly a sibling moment.

She grabbed a drink and kissed Dylan's cheek before kissing Zac on the lips quickly and heading back outside. Zac motioned for Dylan to follow him and they made their way to front porch steps. They sat down and Zac shoved Dylan slightly with his shoulder.

"What's going on?"

"Kelly cheated on me, dude."

"She what?!" Kelly was the girl Dylan had dated in high school for a few years. They had broken up after their junior year in college, but had recently started going out again a couple of months ago.

Dylan pinched the bridge of his nose, wishing the tears away. "She cheated on me, bro. With Carlos."

"Carlos?! As in your best friend Carlos? The guy you have been friends with since like fifth grade?!"

"That's the one. I wouldn't have found out if Matt wouldn't have told me."

Zac was shocked and honestly didn't know what to say to make his little brother feel better. "That's lousy dude. I wouldn't have thought she would do that, but I definitely wouldn't have expected it from him."

He saw Dylan's jaw flinch as he looked down and covered his eyes with his left hand, a sure tell sign that he was about to cry, but was trying not to. Zac wrapped his arm around him and hugged him to his side, squeezing his shoulder.

He could count on one hand the number of times he had needed to console his brother. Of course, there had been little fits when they were younger and would fight, but since then, Dylan hadn't needed a brotherly talk that often. The last brother talk they shared were when their grandfather died and before that when Zac and Vanessa had broken up.

Dylan swiped at his eyes angrily. "I thought she was the one, Zac. But she's fucked it all up now. I don't have her or my best friend anymore."

"When did it happen?"

"The night I stayed here with Nessa and then again last night. Matt walked in and found them last night at Carlos' apartment. When I came home from mom and dad's this morning, she was sitting on the couch waiting on me, and Matt woke up and saw her sitting there and told me what happened right in front of her. So I told her it was over and grabbed my keys and left. Carlos keeps blowing up my phone, but I don't want to talk to him."

"Dyl, that sucks. But it's better that you find out the type of girl she really is now than later on down the road. Ya know? And I don't really know what to tell you about Carlos other than I will happily beat his ass for you. That's really shitty of him."

Dylan nodded and cleared his throat. "If Nessa cheated on you, would you take her back?"

Zac bit the inside of his cheek, thinking about the question. "Hypothetically speaking….hmmm..if it was any girl besides Ness, no. I wouldn't take her back. But if it was Vanessa and it was a one time mistake that I could tell was genuinely a mistake and she was truly sorry for, I would consider it very heavily."

"But you and Nessa are totally different than me and Katie, I know. She wasn't my best friend first and while we were broken up, we weren't still there for each other. Plus you guys trust each other completely. You have a weird relationship, you know that? It's like you both are the same person."

Zac laughed, making Dylan smile slightly. "Yeah, I'm lucky to have her. And you will have that some day too, Dyl. I promise. And when you meet her, you'll know it. Everything will stop being about you and it will be all about her. It doesn't matter if you are 21 or 41, you will know her when you meet her. Plus, you haven't lost your best friend. I'm sitting right here," Zac finished cheekily.

Dylan nodded, smiling. "I know. Thanks bro." Dylan hugged Zac tightly, thankful for having such an awesome big brother.

"So what do you want to do? Are you going to give her another chance? What about Carlos?"

"Nah, I'm done with both of them. It wasn't a one-time thing, it happened twice. I think that's what hurts the most."

Zac nodded, understanding his point. "Well hey, how about we get you drunk and you can forget all about it? We'll grill out and have a bonfire and you can just party with your awesome big brother."

Dylan nodded. "Sounds good."

They got up and walked inside to see Vanessa walking downstairs, having pulled on one of Zac's shirts over her bathing suit.

"Heeeyyyy!" she said, giggling due to her slight tipsiness.

Dylan mocked her jockingly, "Heeeeyyy!"

Vanessa put her hands on her hips with a straight face and glared at him. "Don't make me beat you up, Dylan Nicholas."

He smirked and got into the same pose she did, before picking her up over his shoulder. "Psshh, like I'm scared of that. You weigh like a hundred pounds. What do you say, wanna go for a little swim with the sharks?" he said, walking slowly through the house.

She screamed and kicked, hitting his back. "DYLAN NICHOLAS EFRON PUT ME DOWN DAMMIT!"

He laughed loudly and put her down in the kitchen, where Zac was standing. She gave him an evil glare and wrapped her arms around Zac's waist.

Zac was trying hard not to laugh as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Aw don't be mad, Nessa. I've had a rough day." Dylan said, a slight smile on his face.

Vanessa instantly remembered he was sad and got a concerned look on her face. "What happened?"

Seeing that no one else was around, he explained the story to Vanessa.

"That bitch!" Vanessa said, shocked. Her reaction made Dylan laugh.

She pulled him into a brotherly hug and smiled when she pulled back.

"Don't worry Dylan, next time I see her. I will kick her ass for messing with my little brother. But in the mean time, let's get your mind off of it and parrrtttyyyy!"

He chuckled at her as his phone rang. He groaned when he saw it was Katie. Vanessa's eyes lit up as she stuck out her hand. He looked confused as he handed her his phone.

She looked at Zac with a smirk on her face. "Tickle me, babe."

He shook his head, smiling, already knowing what she was going to do. He tickled her softly and she answered the call.

"H-hello?" she giggled loudly.

"_Hello? Is Dylan there?" _Katie asked.

"Baaaaaby stop it!" Vanessa said to Zac, making sure Katie could hear. "No, I'm sorry. Dylan is a little busy right now. Do you want to leave a message?"

"_I don't believe you. Why do you have Dylan's phone?"_

Vanessa's eyes went wide as she motioned for Zac to say something.

Zac disguised his voice a little, sounding almost exactly like Dylan as he said into Vanessa's neck, close to the phone. "Baby, who is it?"

Dylan tried really hard not to laugh out loud.

Katie gasped loudly before she hung up the phone.

Zac, Dylan, and Vanessa all laughed loudly as V handed Dylan back his phone.

"You guys are the best!" Dylan exclaimed happily.

He slid his phone back into his pocket and grabbed a beer before the three of them began walking towards the back door to join the others.


	16. Chapter 16

As it got dark, the group of friends settled around the bonfire the boys had made on the beach.

They all sat around talking and chatting. Vanessa was sitting on Zac's lap, as he absentmindedly played with her curls.

"Zac, don't you know how to play guitar?!" Brittany asked him.

He nodded as she clapped excitedly. "Do you know how to play "Lego House" by Ed Sheeran?"

He nodded and Vanessa smiled, remembering when he sang it for her.

Monique gasped, "Please play it! I love that song!"

He shrugged, "Alright, I need a guitar though."

Ryan got up, "I have mine in my car. Be right back." He ran inside and grabbed it before coming back. Vanessa got up and sat down in Ashley's lap as Zac cleared his throat and tuned all the strings to the right key.

He started playing and everyone listened with smiles on their faces.

"Zac, that is SO good!" Laura said when he finished the last chord.

He smiled, "Thanks."

"Yo, dude. Play "Pumped Up Kicks" like you did with Taylor," Lucas said.

Ashley laughed, "Zac Efron impromptu concert. Let's sell some tickets. We could make millions!"

"Ha Ha, very funny," Zac deadpanned. He cleared his throat as he strummed a few chords. He took a deep breath before beginning to play and sing.

"You're awesome, dude." Miley commented, smiling, when he finished the song.

Zac shook his head, not thinking he was that good and handed the guitar to Ryan.

Zac was about to get Vanessa to sit back on his lap, when he noticed Dylan wasn't sitting to his right anymore. He looked around and saw him with his feet in the water.

Zac looked at Vanessa, concerned, before getting up and slipping away to talk to his brother.

Dylan stood there, looking out into the calm water as he nurtured the beer in his hand. He felt a strong arm rest on top of his shoulders and smiled weakly.

"Sup, bro?" Zac asked, taking a sip of his own beer.

Dylan shrugged, "Just thinking. How can the water look so calm and serene when life is all such a big mess?"

Zac looked at him with a weird face, "Who are you? Nicholas Sparks?"

Dylan laughed slightly and pushed Zac, laughing at his joke.

"I'm just kidding, bro. I get it completely. When Ness and I broke up, I went into ninja mode and disappeared, remember? I flew to Australia and just surfed for a few days. It was calming. Now I'm not saying you should disappear to a different country because mom and dad would flip, but you are more than welcome to stay at Woodrow for a few days if you want to be alone."

"Woodrow?" Dylan asked, confused.

"Yeah, my old house. It's on Woodrow Wilson Drive. It's easier to say Woodrow."

Dylan shook his head, laughing. "You're crazy, bro. But thanks, I think I'll take you up on that. You'll be in town though, right?"

Zac was going to joke about Dylan needing to have his big brother around, but didn't because he knew Dylan really needed him. "Yeah man, I'll be here. Ness is flying to New York tomorrow night for an appearance. We can go check out the Lakers game or watch it at home with some beers. Whatever you wanna do."

Dylan nodded, smiling. "Lakers v. Heat. Let's go!"

Zac laughed and slapped his back. "Sounds good, little bro. Do mom and dad know you are here?"

Dylan pursed his lips together and looked down at his feet.

"Dylan! They are going to flip out when they realize you aren't in SLO!"

"I know, I just needed to get away and if I told them where I was going on such short notice they would have known something was wrong. Then mom would have wanted to know all about it and I just didn't feel like talking about it."

Zac nodded in understanding. "I'll call Dad and tell him you are staying with me for a couple of days because I had time off and wanted to spend some time with you before your school schedule got crazy again."

Dylan smiled big, "Thanks Zman. You're the best!"

Zac smiled as Dylan hugged him. "You're welcome, Dyl." They pulled apart and began walking back to where everyone was.

Zac smiled widely as he saw Vanessa sitting in the seat he was previously in, wearing his sweatshirt while eating a s'more she had just made.

He looked at her, amused and she smiled back like a little kid in a candy store.

He carefully picked her up and sat her back down in his lap. She offered him a bite and he opened his mouth, biting off some of the marshmallow-chocolately goodness.

She giggled and kissed the corner of his mouth where some chocolate was left behind.

"mmm," he said with a teasing smile on his face. "The smore was good, but I think I liked the kiss even better."

She giggled softly and rolled her eyes playfully as she touched the s'more to his lips, getting chocolate all over them before kissing his lips.

When she pulled back, licking her lips, he smiled widely. "Definitely like the kisses better," he winked.

Vanessa who was sitting sideways on Zac's lap, poked Dylan's arm with her bare toes.

He grabbed her foot and tickled it, making her giggle loudly.

"Keep these little monkey feet away from me," he joked.

She scoffed loudly, faking hurt before moving her feet away from his hands quickly.

Zac kissed the top of her head absentmindedly as he was in the middle of a conversation with Corbin and Ashley.

Vanessa continued to mess with Dylan, trying her best to take his mind off the day.

"Hey monkey feet, can you open this beer?" he asked with a challenging look on his face.

"Cover it with something first so I don't cut my foot open," she said, accepting his challenge. He placed a tshirt over the metal lid of the glass beer bottle. She moved her foot out, taking the lid of the bottle and opening it like it was no problem.

Dylan looked at her with a shocked face as she cheered triumphantly.

"That's creepy, Nessa," he joked as he moved the shirt and tossed the lid of the beer bottle at her.

"Whatever! You love me and my monkey feet!"

"Only cause I have to!" he said, smiling widely.

"AH!" she scoffed, with her eyebrows knitted together.

He laughed at her, shaking his head. "You know I'm just messing with you."

Dylan pulled out his phone and his eyes went wide when he saw "7 missed calls." He opened them to see they were all from Starla.

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath. Vanessa said "oooooooh" when she saw who had called.

"Mom is going to kill you, Dylan!" she said as he looked scared.

Zac motioned for Dylan to hand him his phone. He called Starla back and smiled to himself when she picked up.

"_Dylan Nicholas Efron, you are in BIG trouble!"_

"Mama?" Zac said sweetly.

"_Zachary? Sweetheart?"_

"Hey mama, it's me."

"_Is everything okay? Why are you with Dylan?"_

"I found out that Ness leaves tomorrow for NYC so I called Dylan and asked if he would come spend a few days here with me. We are the beach house in Malibu and I just grabbed his phone from my car where he left it earlier."

"_Oh okay, that's fine. I was just getting worried. I'll let you go, but tell my sweet girl I love her and I love you boys."_

"I'll tell her and we all love you too, mama."

They hung up the phone and Zac smiled and clicked his tongue in triumph as he tossed Dylan his phone.

"What the hell?! She was ready to jump all over me until she realized it was you!"

Zac just chuckled and went back to his earlier conversation with Ash and Corbin.

Vanessa cuddled up against Zac's chest and ate her s'more, happy and content to be with her best friends. He kissed her head and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

"Comfy?" he asked, kissing her temple.

She nodded, smiling and kissed the underside of his jaw. "What time is your flight tomorrow?"

"Three. I hate when I have to fly there and then come right back the next day. It's better because I'm not away from you as long, but it's just a lot of flying, ya know?"

He nodded in understanding. He carefully picked her up and sat her back down in his seat as he walked to the other side of the fire, getting a drink. As he was rummaging around the cooler, Brad and another guy stumbled up.

Ryan rolled his eyes, hoping the guy he barely knew wouldn't cause any trouble.

"Hey Brad, what's going on?" Ryan asked, trying to be cool.

Brad shook his hand in greeting as his friend eyed up Vanessa. He winked at her and stood by her chair. "Hey sexy, wanna dance?"

She smiled sweetly, "No thanks, I'm good."

"Aww come on. It's just a dance. This is a good song."

"I'm good. Thanks though," she said, starting to feel uncomfortable.

As he reached out to touch her shoulder, Zac stepped in front of him with a serious look on his face.

"Don't touch her. I believe she said no."

Ryan, Corbin, and Dylan all stood up behind Zac, seeing what was about to potentially happen.

Brad stood behind his friend, with wide eyes.

"She just needs a few drinks is all. I'll make it worth her while," Brad's friend Mike said, raising his eyebrows at Vanessa provocatively.

Zac's jaw clenched shut as he clenched his fist tightly, the vein throbbing down his arm and in his neck.

Ryan spoke up quickly, "Yo dude, you need to leave."

Mike chose to ignore him and smiled evilly. "I saw that ass of hers and just had to come over. She looks like she would be wild, if ya know what I mean," he said, hitting Zac's chest suggestively.

Zac looked down at where the guy's hand was hitting his chest and he looked at him with a cold stare. When Zac spoke, his voice was deep with anger and warning. "I suggest you shut the fuck up."

Mike pulled his hand away and smiled. "What? Are you her brother? I'm sorry dude."

Dylan stepped forward, standing beside Zac with his arms crossed across his chest. "No, that would be me."

Mike looked at Dylan and took in the height difference he had over Zac, yet Zac was still a lot more muscular than Dylan.

Mike chuckled under his breath. "I just wanna dance with her. Maybe get a little peek. I mean I've already seen the pictures; I just want to know if she looks even hotter in person."

Before anyone could make a move, Zac's fist was colliding harshly with the guy's face, instantly breaking his nose and busting open his lip.

Ryan and Corbin quickly grabbed Zac's arms before he could do anymore damage as the guy stumbled backwards, nearly falling to the ground.

Dylan surged forward and kicked the guy right in the crotch, making Mike fall to his knees groaning loudly in pain. Dylan squatted down next Mike and laughed. "Just a little tip for ya, bro. Next time you want to talk about shit like that, make sure you aren't saying it to the chick's fiancée."

Mike looked up wide-eyed in pain as he saw Zac still being held back by Corbin and Ryan.

Brad pulled his friend to his feet and quickly helped him away.

When they were gone, Ryan and Corbin finally let go of Zac's arms. Zac ran his hand through his hair before seeing his slightly swollen knuckles that would surely bruise.

He turned around to see Ashley running towards the house, after Vanessa. Zac quickly took off after them, trying to catch up.

When he got inside, he saw Ashley outside the downstairs bathroom door, knocking softly. "Nesquick, let me in, sweetie."

Vanessa's crying was all that could be heard. He took a deep breath, getting all of the anger out of his body. He made his way to the bathroom door and stood outside while Ashley tried to get her to unlock the door. Using his good left hand, he tapped the door softly with his knuckles.

"Baby? It's me," he said softly. A second later, he heard the door unlock.

He opened it and walked inside, seeing her with her back against the bathtub, crying with her head on her knees.

Ashley walked away as he closed the door back. He sat down beside her and pulled her into his lap, wrapping his strong, protective arms around her.

He kissed the top of her head repeatedly and whispered sweet nothings in her ear, getting her to calm down.

"Shhh, baby. Don't cry." He whispered, rubbing her back.

She eventually calmed down as wiped her eyes. "No matter what I do, no matter how much I think people have forgotten about it, it comes right back and smacks me in the face. I finally get over it and some idiot brings it back up and makes me feel like shit all over again."

"Baby, you just said it all. Some _idiot_ brings it back up. He was mad and jealous because you rejected him, so he took a low blow. He is worthless and a piece of shit. Anyone who uses your mistakes against you is just using it to cover up their own flaws. It makes them look worse, not you. You are such an incredibly strong woman who doesn't need other people's approval and doesn't care what other people think of you. You take the good with the bad and learn from it and grow from it. It's one of the many things I love about you."

She smiled softly at him as tears still gathered in her eyes. "It just hurts. I was young and it was a mistake."

"I know it was baby. And anyone who thinks different or judges you because of it doesn't deserve to be in your life."

She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat.

He wiped her cheek, giving her a soft smile. "I hate to see you cry. When you cry, these beautiful brown eyes instantly get darker and it lets me know just how much you are hurting and it kills me. It makes me want to go back out there and hunt the guy down."

Her shoulders moved slightly with a soft giggle because she knew just how serious he was. She picked up his hand and placed soft kisses on his red knuckles, skipping over the one that was bleeding slightly. He smiled and used his thumb to caress her cheek softly. "No more tears, okay? Let me see that beautiful smile."

She slightly smiled, seeing the hopeful and playful look in his sparkling blue eyes. He smiled widely at her, raising his eyebrows.

When she wouldn't give him a full smile, he smirked mischievously and placed a hand on both her cheeks. He connected their lips, kissing her lovingly and passionately. When he pulled away, he looked at her questioningly before she smiled widely. She giggled softly at his triumphant smile and kissed him again softly.

A knock was heard on the door.

Zac looked at Vanessa for approval before saying anything. "Who is it?"

"Ash."

"Come in," Zac said when Vanessa nodded against his chest.

She opened the door and closed it back softly. Seeing the first aid kit in her hand, Zac and Vanessa stood up.

Ashley placed the kit on the counter and opened it up as she reached for Zac's hand. Vanessa heard Dylan calling for them. As he got closer to the door, she opened it, letting him in.

Seeing what was going on, Dylan shut the door back and gave Vanessa a brotherly hug. She smiled at him when they pulled apart and rested her head against his shoulder as he slung his arm around her shoulders, watching Ashley and Zac.

Ashley looked at Zac with a proud look. "That was one hell of a swing. Broken nose and busted lip at the same time."

He shrugged and smiled softly. "The dumb fuck deserved it. I'm glad Corbin and Ryan were there. Otherwise he would have had more broken bones than just a nose."

She gently washed his hand with warm water before putting some antiseptic on it, making him wince slightly as it rid his cut of germs.

"Fuck!" he said in pain.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I don't want it getting infected or anything. I'm almost done."

He took in a sharp breath between gritted teeth as she placed ointment on the cut. Finally she placed a bandage over it before patting him on his cheek. "What a good boy."

He rolled his eyes and hugged her with one arm. "Thanks Dr. Tizzy," he said with a smile as she handed him a bag of frozen peas for his other knuckles.

Ashley laughed before closing the first aid kit. She turned around and hugged Vanessa tightly, kissing her hair. "I love you," she said.

Vanessa smiled and hugged her back. "I love you too, Ash. Thank you."

Ashley smiled and nodded before pulling away. They all walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen of the beach house.

"Where did everyone go?" Vanessa asked, looking around.

"Home. That guy killed the mood so I told them we would all catch up again sometime soon. Plus, it's almost two. I was getting tired." Ashley said, putting the last of the trash into the garbage can. "You guys are staying though, right?" she asked.

Zac nodded as he grabbed a bottle of water, taking a sip. "Both couches pull out, right?"

Ashley nodded as she turned off the kitchen light and they all made their way into the living room.

"Ash, you take the pull out. I'll be fine on the floor." Dylan said.

Ashley rolled her eyes at him. "Pul-lease. You're not sleeping on the floor. We will share. I'm not separating the lovebirds over there and I don't want you sleeping on the floor. It's totally cool, I promise."

Dylan chuckled and nodded as he laid down, giving space between him and Ashley. Zac and Vanessa used the bathroom to change clothes before laying down on the other pull out mattress.

"Goodnight guys, love youuuuu!" Ashley said in a singsong voice as she turned off the final light.

"Night," Dylan replied, laughing. "Love you too, Ash and Zman and sis-in-law."

"Love you too, Tizzy and Dyl." Zac replied, wrapping his arms around Vanessa as she rested her head on his chest.

"Night Ash and bro in law, love you." Vanessa responded with a slight giggle.

Zac kissed Vanessa softly before whispering to her. "Night babygirl. I love you."

"Goodnight baby boo, I love you too."


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Let me start out by saying I'm so sorry! I totally forgot to tell you guys that I just got back to college so things are a little hectic. I will still be updating the story, just maybe not as often as usual. Secondly, I have noticed that I've been getting less and less reviews, which makes me sad Mainly because your reviews are what motivate me to write more. Anyways, here is the next chapter. I hope you like it.

Zac waited until Vanessa was safely inside the airport with her manager before driving away from the airport doors, leaving the paparazzi behind. Zac pulled out his cell phone and called Dylan as he looked in his mirrors, changing lanes.

When Dylan's voicemail picked up, Zac sighed and put his phone back in the console of his dash. He tapped his steering wheel, singing along with the radio as he cruised his black Audi towards his house on Woodrow Wilson Drive.

He arrived twenty minutes later and punched in the code on the gate, opening the metal door. He drove through and waited for it to close before continuing up the driveway. Not bothering to open the garage, he pulled through to the front door of the house. He grabbed his phone before getting out and walking to the front door.

He used his key to unlock the door and he was met with the sound of his little brother snoring loudly. He closed the door and walked into the bedroom.

He chuckled when he saw Dylan laying face down in his boxers with his arm hanging off the bed. Zac decided to be nice and hit him on his back softly with the back of his hand. "Yo, Dyl. Wake up."

Dylan's eyes opened slowly before he groaned and buried his head in the pillow. Zac stood there with his arms folded across his chest with an amused look on his face.

After a minute, Dylan lifted his head and wiped his eyes.

"What time is it?" he asked groggily.

"Six. You better get up if you want to go to the game. What did you do? Come back here and go back to sleep?" Zac asked as he walked into the bathroom to pee.

"Yeah, dude. I was exhausted. Did Nessa catch her plane?" he said, getting up and putting on some clothes.

"Yeah. I just came from the airport. She was excited because she is meeting up with Mo for dinner when she lands," Zac said, walking out of the bathroom, zipping up his jeans.

"When is she getting back in?" Dylan asked, grabbing his phone and running his hands through his tousled hair.

Zac replied to a text as he listened to Dylan, "Ummm, late tomorrow night. She is leaving there about four am, New York time."

"Dang, I'll be gone before she gets back. I gotta head back up to SLO tomorrow afternoon. I have an exam the next day."

Zac locked the front door as they walked out and got into the car. "Has Katie called you anymore?"

Dylan shook his head, "No. She has texted me a couple of times, but I haven't replied. I wish she would just leave me alone. It makes it easier if I don't have to think about it."

Zac squeezed his shoulder. "That's why we are having a bro night, little brother." Dylan smiled as they pulled out of the driveway.

Vanessa got off of the plane after landing at JFK International Airport and sighed when she saw paparazzi waiting outside. As she waited by the baggage claim, she pulled out her iPhone to type a quick message.

"_Just landed. Hope you and Dyl are having fun. Ttyl. Love you."_

She slid the phone back into her back pocket and grabbed her bag when she saw it come to her. She placed the strap of her Louis Vitton duffel bag on her shoulder and started walking towards the exit where her car was waiting on her.

She looked down as the flashes started to go off. She nearly stopped in her tracks when she realized they were all taking pictures of her hand. "Dammit Vanesssa!" she said in her head, scolding herself for not hiding the ring.

"Vanessa! Are you engaged?! Are you and Zac getting married?!"

She sighed and continued to ignore them as she made her way to the car. She got inside and relaxed slightly when the car door was closed, shielding her from prying camera lenses. She pulled out her phone when it started ringing.

"Hello?" she said, not looking at the caller id.

"Hey Sweet girl, how are you?" Starla said sweetly through the line.

"Hey mom," Vanessa sighed happily. "I'm good, I just landed in NYC."

"Oh gosh! I totally forgot you were flying out today. How was your flight?"

"It was good. I'm just really tired. I hate changing time zones. And I didn't get much sleep last night. How are you and David?"

"We're good, sweetie. I just wanted to talk to you so you could tell me what's really going on with my sons. I could tell by Zachary's tone that something was up yesterday when I called him back."

Vanessa giggled softly, "Mother's intuition?"

"I guess you could call it that," Starla replied, laughing softly.

"I'm sure Dylan will tell you when he's ready to talk about it, but Katie cheated on him…with Carlos….more than once."

Vanessa pulled the phone away and looked at the screen when it was quiet. "Mom?"

"I'm here…..I'm here. I just…..that little….whore. Excuse my language. I just can't believe it."

Vanessa was slightly shocked at Starla's response, but felt the same way. "I know. We were at the Malibu beach house when Dylan called and he was at the house looking for us and so he came down there and told Zac the story. He didn't want you to worry, but he didn't want to talk about it to you guys yet. I think he just needed his big brother, although Dylan will never admit it."

Starla laughed, "Never in a million years. So he is there with Zac still? He isn't by himself?"

"Zac was taking him to a Lakers game and out to eat and stuff tonight and they were going to play video games and hang out at our house afterwards tonight. Zac didn't want him to be alone."

"Have Katie or Carlos tried to get in touch with him?"

"Yeah, constantly. But Dylan is really upset over the whole situation, but especially about Carlos."

"I'm worried about him, but I know Zac will take care of him."

"Definitely. He was really excited to get to spend some time with him, even if it is because of these circumstances."

"I bet so. What all do you have to do in New York?"

"I have to go to this appearance for one of the charities out here and I have some interviews on radio stations about the album. Then I'm leaving here about midnight tomorrow, LA time."

"Good gosh, that's an action packed day. You sound stressed."

Vanessa sighed as she ran her hand through her hair and leaned her head against the cold window, looking out at the city. "I am, mom. I just walked out of the airport and forgot to hide my hand. So when I wake up, everyone will know about the engagement and Zac and I weren't ready to share it with the world yet. I don't…..I don't want him to be mad at me. And this guy last night came up to us and was hitting on me, but when Zac stepped in and told him to leave the guy said that he had already seen me naked, along with the rest of the world and Zac punched him and I just…..I can't help but think that deep down Zac resents the part of me that took those pictures. It still interferes with not only my life and career, but his too and it's not fair. And I….what if he decides he doesn't want to marry me?"

Starla could hear the tears being held back by the softness and vulnerability of Vanessa's voice. When she went to speak, Vanessa spoke up again.

"Hold on, mom. I'll call you back in a few minutes. We just pulled up to the hotel."

"Okay, bye sweetie. Love you." She said quickly as she hung up.

When Starla hung up the phone, she immediately pressed the second speed dial button, waiting for a familiar voice.

"Talk to me."

"Zachary?"

"Hey momma, what's up? It's getting late, what are you doing up?"

"Have you talked to Nessa tonight?"

"Not yet, me and Dyl just got back to the house. I was driving, but I got her message saying that she had landed. Why?" Zac asked, throwing his wallet and keys on the kitchen counter.

"Sweetheart, you need to call her in a few minutes."

"Why? What's going on? Is she okay?" he asked, worriedly, grabbing a bottle of water and walking outside to sit on the patio chair while Dylan changed inside.

"I probably shouldn't be telling you this because she told me in confidence…"

"Mom, you're worrying me. Tell me."

"I just got off the phone with her. I called her and she picked up while she was in the car and we chatted for a little bit. I could tell something was really bothering her."

"Yeah, I know. I asked her about it all day, but she just kept saying it was because she didn't want to leave. I could tell there is more, but I know better than to push her. When she is ready, she'll tell me."

"Well I guess she has finally cracked, because she told me what was bothering her. It's a couple of things. And I'm sure leaving you was one of them, but firstly she is scared."

"Of what?"

"She forgot to put her hand in her pocket and the paparazzi got pictures of the ring. She said that she knows you two weren't ready to share it with the world and she is scared you will be mad at her."

The silence coming from her eldest son's end of the conversation showed he was deep in thought about what she had just scared.

"But I think the thing that is really bothering her is something way bigger. She told me about what happened at the beach house last night. About what the guy said and how you punched him. Ever since then, she said that she couldn't stop thinking about it. She said she can't help but think that deep down, you resent her for taking the pictures and because not only does it still interfere with her life and career to this day, but it also interferes with yours. She said that she is afraid that because of that, you will decide you don't want to marry her. Before I could say anything else, she had to go because she was getting out at the hotel."

She heard Zac take a deep breath.

He squeezed his eyes shut as he put his head in his left hand with his elbow resting on the table. "I've gotta call her."

"I love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too. Thanks momma." He said sweetly before hanging up the phone. He pulled the phone away from his ear and hit 'end.' He quickly dialed the most called number in his phone and placed the phone back against his ear as he stood up, pacing around the backyard with his free hand in his pocket.

Vanessa placed her bag on the floor before changing into one of Zac's t-shirts. She washed her face and laid down before turning off the light. Her phone lit up with her favorite picture of a certain brown-haired, blue-eyed boy. Seeing his picture made her burst into tears. She knew she couldn't answer otherwise he would instantly know something was up.

"Hopefully he will think I'm asleep," she mumbled to herself.

A minute later, the screen went dark.

"Dammit," Zac said as he immediately hung up and redialed the number.

When she didn't answer again, he decided to leave a voicemail.

"_Hi this is Vanessa Hudgens. I'm sorry I can't come to the phone right now, but I'll call you back as soon as I can!" _BEEP

"_Ness, baby, please call me back or answer the phone or something. I need to talk to you. Just…..just know that you are my entire world, Vanessa Anne Hudgens. I love you. Please call me."_

He hung up his phone and sighed, walking back into the house.

"You okay. Dude?" Dylan asked, about to walk upstairs to go to bed.

Zac ran his hand through his hair as he walked up the stairs behind him after turning off the lights. "Vanessa thinks that because of what that douchebag said last night that I'm going to change my mind about marrying her. And she is scared I will be mad because the paparazzi saw her ring tonight. She won't answer my calls."

"I'm sure she will. Just give her some time. Don't do anything like jump on a plane and fly there."

Zac looked down sheepishly.

"You already bought a ticket, didn't you?" Dylan asked, crossing his arms and giving him a stern look.

"No, but I was about to." Zac admitted. "I just don't know what to do if she won't answer my calls. I need to talk to her and tell her she is crazy for thinking that."

"I'm sure she will answer. She might be sleeping. Worse case scenario is she doesn't call you back, but at least she will be home tomorrow night."

Zac sighed in defeat. "Fine. I guess you're right."

Dylan hugged him, "She'll call bro, don't worry."

Zac nodded and gave a weak smile, hugging him back. They pulled apart and Zac went into the master bedroom and closed the double doors. He got ready for bed, never putting down his phone in case she called.

He turned off the lights and laid down in bed, before opening his phone again.

He decided to try again. _"Baby V, I'm so worried. Please just let me know you're okay. I love you."_

When Vanessa read the text, she couldn't help the new wave of tears. She was about to listen to his voicemail for the thirteenth time before she saw a call pop up on the screen. She took a deep breath before answering the phone when it said 'Bro-in-law.'

"_Hello?" _she said quietly.

"_Nessa? Are you okay?"_

She didn't reply, but he could hear her tears on the other side of the line.

"_Sis-in-law, you're worrying Zman. Please call him."_

"_I-i-I c-c-can't Dyl," _she choked out between soft sobs.

"_Well then send him a text message or something. He has been pacing around the backyard and staring at his phone. He isn't going to get any sleep until he hears from you, you know that. I just had to convince him not to buy the plane ticket he was about to get."_

He heard Vanessa cry a little harder before he softened his tone.

"_He is scared you are going to do something irrational and break up with him. Please just talk to him, Nessa."_

He heard the phone beep, signaling the end of the call. He decided not to call her back. As he put his phone down, he heard "Forever Your Girl" by Paula Abdul ringing from his brother's cell phone.

Zac was laying on his back, looking at the ceiling with his phone resting on his bare chest. When a familiar song began to come through his phone's speakers, he quickly sat up and grabbed his phone.

"_Ness? Baby?" _Zac said, waiting to hear her voice.

He heard her suck in a few breaths between tears before whispering his name softly. "Zac."

"_I'm here, baby girl. Please don't cry. Can you do me a favor? Can you listen to what I have to say?"_

"_Yeah," she said, barely audible._

"_Baby, first of all, I am not mad at you. Not in the slightest bit. If they got pictures of the ring, who cares. We can either ignore the questions or we can confirm it. Whichever you want to do, is fine with me. I'm just happy to be the one beside you and be the one who gave you the ring. Secondly…..Vanessa I don't want you to ever doubt how much I love you and how badly I want to be your husband. Hell, I've wanted to be your husband since the first time I kissed you. I said that day that I never wanted another man to share that feeling with you besides me. When the whole photo thing happened, I could have easily ran from the situation. I could have broken up with you and gone our separate ways. But I didn't, Ness. I didn't run, because I loved you. I said to hell with my career if it affects it, because without you in my life, it didn't mean shit anyways. When it happened again, I could have taken the easy way out, but once again I didn't. I didn't want to. You needed me and I wanted to be there for you no matter what. If I didn't take the easy way out either of those times, what makes you think I will ever take it? I've never been the type of guy to take the easy route of things and now that I know what it is like to have you in my life, I'm not losing you. Not because of premature news of our engagement, not because of false rumors people start, not because of the stupid things people say, and certainly not because of mistakes that were made in the past that we stuck together through and came out stronger as a result of it. If we got asked about it from this day and everyday forward, I would still want to be by your side, punching guys for asking it. If I need to fly to New York right now and get a minister and marry you in your hotel room, I will. I want to marry you Vanessa Hudgens. But I know how excited you are to plan the wedding of your dreams and I will be more than happy to help with whatever you need me to do. But I need you to do me a favor. Promise me that no matter what, you will never doubt that I want to be the one to look you in the eyes and say 'I do.' And never doubt that I don't love you. Because I love you with every inch of my mind, body, and soul."_

There was a moment of silence, aside from the soft tears on the other end of the phone. Finally he heard the voice that was music to his ears.

"_I promise. I love you too, Zac. With all my heart."_

Zac's muscles relaxed and he laid back, resting his head on his pillow, still holding the phone to his ear.

"_I'm sorry for not answering. I just needed to let it all out and I knew if I answered you would instantly know something was wrong and worry, but then I realized you would worry yourself sick if I didn't call. And I was worried that you were worried."_

Zac chuckled softly, a smile on his face. _"It's okay, baby. I'm just glad to finally hear those tears stop. And I can tell by that crazy sounding sentence that my girl is tired. Right?"_

"_mmhmm," _she mumbled, already half asleep. _"I love you, Zac."_

"_I love you too, baby. Sweet dreams."_

He smiled to himself when he heard her breathing even out on the other side. He instantly relaxed as he continued listening to her even breathing, calming himself and joining her in slumber.


End file.
